The Gray Fringes
by AB97
Summary: Richard Lionheart is a young warrior with a painful past and a family legacy of murder and terror. When one tragic night turns his life upside down and brings him to the doorstep of Beacon Academy he must decide to either seek revenge on the terrorists who have destroyed his life or to find a nobler path of justice against those who have brought chaos to the world of Remnant.
1. Chapter 1

Ch 1 A Plan Too Perfect

Richard looked down from his position in the forest upon the ominous looking base while his friend and most trusted friend and teammate George waited for his report. As Richard descended the tree he began to finalize his plan of attack. Schnee hired them to infiltrate the White Fang headquarters and eliminate any data stolen in the infamous vale headquarters raid. When he reached the bottom he met George and prepared for the assault. They would both enter from opposite side of the base and stealthily make their way to the main data room incapacitation any that stood in their way. There they would use their special tool given them to completely wipe the database of any information stored up to five months ago. As he spoke Richard prepared his custom steel broadswords that transformed into two sleek custom Colt .45 pistols. After loading the weapons he made a running jump and slide down the cliff towards the base. If everything went according to plan they would be in and out in no less than twenty minutes and would be 10,000 liens richer. As he reached the base he stealthily jumped over the wall past two guards into the main barracks. Quickly incapacitating two guards he made his way down the barracks into the main database. As he turned the corner he met two guards that were almost instantly knocked out by George's small hand shield.

"Perfect timing as usual George" Richard said with a wry smile.

"You expected any less, you know for white fang guards these guys really need to work on their hearing, I swear it took one guy 30 seconds to realize I was tailing him." Replied George.

Ok there'll be plenty of time to talk at the apartment when we are celebrating, let's get this job done and get out of here"

"Yeah good plan this place is putting me on edge could be an ambush around any corner, though I doubt it, these guys look like they couldn't beat an Ursa at chess."

Richard only gave a slight chuckle as he attached the Schnee company data eraser to the computer and turned it on. In ten minutes exactly a large pop up read erasing complete have a nice day.

"See, a cake walk now let's get out of here." Said George

They both laughed as they headed out the left entrance down the corridor to the exit. As they reached the hall leading to an exit they were both stopped by a strange and rather angry faunus. He had red hair and a strange mask covering half of his face while wearing an intricate black and red suit.

"So, these are our two little intruders, quite a mess you've caused us, it's too bad you won't be around to see what we plan to do with your little boss." He growled while putting a hand around his sword.

"Right" replied George "I hate to ruin any excruciatingly painful plans you have for us but I think it's time we get out of here after you Richard."

As they turned around they were intercepted and kicked backwards by another figure leaping from the shadows above them. She was a tall black haired  
faunus with two black cat ears wearing accustom black and white outfit complete with a little bow to cover her ears.

"Adam you heard what the boss said he wants them alive and unharmed if at all possible."

"That's what he said Blake but I can't guarantee anything while we are detaining them."

"Well you two forgot one tiny little detail" Richard said as he quickly unsheathed his weapons and charged directly at Adam. As Adam dodged his right sword Richard quickly brought the second one down cracking Adam's mask and sending him flying into the adjacent wall.

"Well that's the first and last time you'll be taking me by surprise." Adam laughed as he fired his sword out of its sheathe and began to attack.

Richard quickly blocked the strike as Adam went on the offensive slashing, dodging and hacking in a whirlwind of action. However he had underestimated the speed and skill of his opponent as Richard countered every move and returned with his own volley of attacks in an evenly matched back and forth battle.

Meanwhile George had taken no time in taking out his trusty shield and cutlass with two small shotguns in the hand guard. As he attacked using his shield for defense and shotgun to propel his blade Blake used her superior speed to dodge each attack and counter with her own weapon. This continued on until Blake managed to jump behind George and knock him out with the flat of her sword.

Stunned Richard turned his head only to hear a sharp crack and a the thud of the hilt of Adam's sword hitting him in the back of the head.

As he lost consciousness Richard heard one last command from Adam to take them to the prison below the base.


	2. A Wound too Deep

Chapter 2: A Wound too deep

When he finally regained consciousness Richard woke to find himself chained in a small bleak room with a small cot in one corner and a beaten and faded mirror on the wall.

"ugghh where am I, what happened."

"Nice of you join the living again." Replied a weak but familiar voice next to him.

"George, what happened all I remember is fighting that crazy faunus and losing consciousness."

"Well, we are in a white fang prison being kept alive solely for the reason that they think we actually work for Schnee and know about this plot."

"We better think of a way out of here quickly then, any ideas."

"Well they left our weapons here if we could find a way out of this cell we get them and start fighting our way out."

"Yeah that might work as long as we don't run into those two again, now let's see what I can do about this door."

Before he could act Richard was interrupted by the arrival of three people. They were an orange haired man in a white suit smoking a cigar, a malevolent woman with black hair wearing a red dress, and finally the same man who knocked him out. The slightly insane orange haired man was the first to speak.

"Ah, look who's finally awake are you going to be able to answer our questions unlike your friend over there."

"Yeah and play my small insignificant part in your grand holy war you White Fang scum" Richard replied as he spat in his face

"You truly have no idea what's happening do you, but first a little demonstration of what we can do if you don't tell us what we need."

He laughed maniacally as he pulled out a thin metal tube with a small white fang emblem attached to it. He calmly walked over to the ominous looking woman who promptly lit a fire in her hand. He casually held the staff over the fire until it glowed to be a bright red.

"Now let's see how stubborn you are with this telling the world what happened here." He laughed as he quickly pressed it on Richard's cheek causing him to scream in agony.

Just then the sound of a door opening could be heard along with a voice in the distance.

"Adam what are you doing it's time for dinner and what was that screaming going on? What are you doing to our prisoners?"

"It's nothing Blake just setting an example I'll be up there in a minute."

"Now gentlemen let's let our prisoners sit here and think about our little offer."

As soon as the doors closed George whispered from across the room

"Bastards, Richard are you alright? How are we getting out of here?"

"I'm fine and we are getting out of here today."

Richard closed his eyes and began to meditate ignoring the searing pain engulfing his cheek. After a few minutes his eyes suddenly jolted opened and transformed from a dark blue to a dull gray. He suddenly wrenched both arms out shattering the chains once holding him. Once he was free he quickly removed the steel door from its frame and went to free his friend.

"How did you do that? That was absolutely spectacular."

"Our _gracious _hosts here forgot that my semblance is strength; now let's get out of here. Can you walk?"

"Barely, they roughed me up pretty badly when you were unconscious. I don't know how helpful I'll be in a fight."

"No worries I've got your back if anything comes up, now let's go."

They made their way out of the prison down the hall and towards the exit. As they turned a corner they ran directly into that faunus called Blake. A mixture of both surprise and a little admiration danced across her face as Richard quickly sidestepped around and kicked her away as he sprinted away with George.

"Shit, well George we might be expecting company soon get ready."

Shortly afterwards a series of bellowing alarms sounded and frantic movement could be heard in the floors above. They ran as fast as George's leg could allow them until they finally made it out of a side entrance and down a little alley between the barracks.

"We're almost there man just hold on one little fence and we're home free."

"Not so fast." Came an annoyingly familiar voice from the shadows above.

"You almost had us there for a second you know. I didn't plan on you have in a semblance yet alone strength. Next time I'm going to have to get a heavier chain." Adam said as he jumped down blocking their escape.

"They sure surprised me when they came barreling around that corner right into me." Replied that all too familiar voice as Blake landed gracefully behind them.

"Well I figured this would have happened George. I'll try to keep you covered as best I can."

Adam struck first by charging down the alley while Blake jumped up the wall to attack from above. Richard waited for a split second before unsheathing his blades and blocking each attack with a different sword. They attacked in sequence while Richard slowly circled George protecting him while blocking and counterattacking each strike. While Richard was combating Adam Black transformed her blade and fired it at George wrapping it around his wounded leg and pulling him towards the nearest door. "Help" George screamed as Richard turned around his eyes turning a dull gray and body resonating with a gray aura. Yelling he quickly charged Blake cutting the George free and disarming Blake. He then moved on the offensive striking Blake backwards at least fifty feet into the opened court yard. Satisfied Richard turned around only to find his longtime friend and teammate crumpled on the ground with Adam's sword lodged halfway through his chest. Enraged Richard attacked with such a force that Adam was knocked two hundred feet out of the alley and across the court yard. Tears flowing down his eyes Richard carried the lifeless body of his friend over the fence and through the Forever fall forest away from the base.


	3. An Unexpected Offer

Ch 3: An Unexpected Offer

Richard's POV

Richard moved through the forest silently carrying his fallen comrade dodging the White Fang patrols being sent out into the woods. Finally after walking for hours he reached a small ruin circular ruin with 12 empty podiums circled around a center symbol.

"This seems as good a place as anything to stay."

He quickly went to work gathering wood and making a small fire on the center of the ruin and building a crude stone shovel. He then walked to the largest tree he could find and started digging a small but deep whole cutting through the roots with his sword. Once he was finished he gently placed the body of his friend in and filled the whole back in keeping his weapons to remember him. He then took his sword out and inscribed a small memorial into the tree:

Here lies George Dragon-Heart

Stout as an ox, loyal as a pet and fierce as a dragon

Cut down by the White Fang before he could fully realize greatness

May his name be remembered and his legacy carried on by his teammate and friend.

R

Before leaving Richard looked to his left and found a solitary rose growing the sunlight on the edge of the glade. He silently walked over took it and re planted it in the middle of the grave. He stood there paying his last respects until suddenly a voice appeared directly behind.

"Hmm well you seem to have had quite an unusual day."

Whirling around suddenly both swords extended Richard found himself standing face to face with a peculiar thin man with white hair and round glasses.

"Hmm you sit here mourning the loss of a friend and wondering where your path will lead you next."

"I haven't put much thought into it considering the fact that I've spent the last 7 hours running for my life in a forest infested with Grimm while trying to avoid a group of highly organized criminals with the tracking abilities of wolves."

"Do you know who I am?"

"Well if I had to take a guess based on the amount of middle aged men that would causually walk up to a mercenary in the middle of forever fall forest I'd say you were the head master of Beacon Academy, Professor Ozpin."

"And do you know why I've come here to this remote ruin in the middle of the forest."

"Probably to ask if I wanted to enroll at beacon and kill Grimm for a living after graduating from your school."

"And?"

"Considering the fact that I have no food, no shelter, and no one left go to, I guess the best option would be to accept and make this life worth something."

"First semester begins in two months I'll see you then."

Without another word he turned and walked towards a stern looking blonde woman with a wand at her side.

Astonished at the sudden turn of events Richard went over to his fire and quickly fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning he decided to make his way to town to check his bank account and get ready for his new life. He quickly found a path that led to his bustling new home of Vale. He quickly went to the nearest clothing store after seeing the 10,000 lien transaction successfully made to his account and bought a small yellow bandana to cover the now permanent scar on his check from the White Fang. He went to a little inn in the middle of town and purchased a room to stay in until he started at beacon, took a shower and left to explore the city. After a quick stop to pick up ammunition for his weapons he noticed a little girl in a red hood leaving the store at the same time he was. As he held the door for her he couldn't help but ask her:

"What's a teenage girl like yourself doing in a high impact weapons store?"

'Oh, nothing really just picking up ammunition for this." She laughed pulling out a high caliber sniper rifle that doubled as a 6 foot scythe.

"Woah forget my asking then, you seem like you can handle yourself."

"How about you what weapons do you have?"

"Well I have two custom broadswords that can change into .45 caliber M1911 pistols."

"Wow that's so cool, can you do any awesome moves like moving at super speed and firing grappling hooks."

"I can use my semblance to become stronger and swing them pretty quickly, by the way I never caught your name and what you were doing in Vale?"

"My names Ruby and I just came here to visit my older sister Yang, she's attending Beacon next year and just moved her last night."

"Well Ruby it's a pleasure to meet you. My name's Richard by the way I'm also starting at Beacon next year. hope to see you and your sister around one day."

"You don't have to wait she's walking towards us right now."

He looked over to see an extremely energetic blonde making her way over to them.

'Hello, Ruby who's this, your new boyfriend you've met today?"

"Well I wouldn't say boyfriend more like random strangers striking up a conversation. I'm Richard by the way. I'm attending Beacon in a few weeks."

"Oh really that's crazy. I'm going to Beacon too. Well we better get going Ruby I'll see you at Beacon Richard."

After spending the rest of the day walking around familiarizing himself with the city and enjoying the atmosphere Richard walked back to his little hotel room and quickly fell asleep.

That is when the night mares began. Painfully reliving every moment of his ordeal with the White Fang he would wake up in a cold sweat screaming in the middle of the night.

This continued for weeks until the day came that he had to report to Beacon for his first day of class. Arriving at the airship he made his way inside looking for a place to sit down and wait for the trip to end. As his eyes were scanning the ship his jaw suddenly dropped and he quickly made for a bench at the edge of the ship as he noticed the familiar sight of a black bow covering the ears of a woman clad in black.

"How in the hell did that Faunus from the base manage to sneak her way into Beacon?"

"Looks like my past isn't disappearing that easily today. Now let's see what this Faunus girl is really up to."


	4. The First Trial

Ch. 4 the First Trial

As he sat there hiding on the bench a thousand questions were swirling in Richard's head.

"What was she doing here? How did the White Fang manage to sneak her into this school? Should I go tell Ozpin or Goodwitch or should I try to directly confront her? Why can't my past stay in the past? Why can't I just forget that night and move on with my life?"

"Well first things first, I can't let her see me better mix in the crowd."

He was interrupted from his thoughts by two energetic voices behind him

"Hey Richard, what are you doing in the back of the ship on this bench?"

"Hey Yang I was just getting ready for the first day, by the way what are you doing here Ruby?"

"Well I got into a fight with this Torchwick guy and Ozpin invited me to the school."

"Torchwick" he growled with a menacing look

"Richard, are you ok? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Nothing just making a mental note to myself, now let's see what Beacon has to offer."

Richard stayed back as everyone left making sure he didn't leave in front of that Blake woman. Once she left he proceeded to casually walk with the crowd to the auditorium. Once he was inside he quickly spotted Blake and managed to find a place to stand in her blind spot. After Ozpin gave his speech he made his way to the sleeping room where he found a place in a corner where no one would see him.

"Well who's this little guy sitting here all by himself in a school designed to train real warriors?"

"Let's see if I had to take one guess I'd say you're some rich snob who thinks he's above everyone because he's a little bigger and richer."

"Well the names Cardin and you're going to pay for that little insult." He said as he raised a fist.

Before he could strike Richard casually removed his bandana revealing his scar.

"I wouldn't try it if I were you. The White Fang tried once. There weren't many of them left when I was finished with them."

Suddenly nervous Cardin quickly walked away without saying another word. Richard looked over to see Blake staring wide eyed at him for a split second before quickly returning to her book.

"Great just perfect, that Cardin guy is going to pay for screwing this up."

The next morning Richard went to his locker no longer caring whether Blake sees him or not. He would occasionally see her nervously glancing at him as he would walk to his locker and get his armor and weapons.

"Good Morning Richard you ready for this challenge."

"Morning Yang, I'm just getting ready. Making sure the weapons are loaded and the swords aren't rusty."

"By the Richard I noticed Blake keeps staring at you is everything ok."

"Is she I didn't notice? How did you know who Blake is anyway?"

"Well she did stick up for Ruby earlier and we talked to each other last night. She doesn't seem that bad and kind of nice in a mysterious way."

Richard tried hard to keep the suspicion from showing as they were interrupted by a voice on the voice system.

"Will all first year students report to the training yard for initiation."

"That looks like our cue I'll see you on the battle field buddy."

"I'll catch you later Yang."

"She wouldn't be a bad teammate although I think Ruby's already got dibs on her. Hell any of them would be good as long as it isn't Blake or Cardin."

He made his way to the Platforms over the cliffs where the rest of the students were standing. He sat there as Ozpin explained the rules of the initiation.

"Finally since we have 13 students here the student without a team will have the option to decide which team he or she wants to join."

As he was launched off the platform he quickly fired his pistols in front of him to slow himself down then used his swords to latch on to a tree and stopping his descent. As he got down he heard an Ursa roar and someone yelling and a lot of shotgun shells going off. As he ran to the noise he stopped dead in his track at the sight of Blake going to the same disturbance.

"Fine I'll let Blake take this one don't want to cause any trouble now."

After an hour of walking he heard a group of hushed but menacing voices. He quickly climbed a tree in order to stay hidden while spying on his adversaries.

"Do you have any idea where we are?"

"Don't worry we just head to the sound of gunfire until we find those future hunters and end them before they can cause us any trouble."

"Time to interrupt your party you White Fang scum." Richard said jumping down in the middle of the group smiling.

Blake's POV Across the forest

"I think we're hear, this temple ruin looks like the right spot."

"Look at these chess pieces. I guess this is it. Wait a minute what this thing over here?" Yang said confused.

"It looks like a grave but who would be buried here. It says:

Here lies George Dragon-Heart

Stout as an ox, loyal as a pet and fierce as a dragon

Cut down by the White Fang before he could fully realize greatness

May his name be remembered and his legacy carried on by his teammate and friend.

R

What does this mean Blake, Blake what's wrong?"

Blake had been staring wide eyed at the grave while Yang had been speaking and barely noticed her speaking.

"Huh oh nothing just a mistake." Blake said tears beginning to form on the corners of her eyes.

"Alright then let's move on." Yang hurriedly said obviously aware that this was a sensitive topic for her new teammate.

Back to Richards POV across the forest

He struck first with one sword and a pistol in his hands. He blocked the first man's attack with his sword and knocked him out by hitting his helmet with a .45 round. The next man tried to hit him in the back but was promptly blocked and knocked out by the hilt of his sword. He quickly put another round into the third man and then moved to pistol whip the last man until he too was unconscious. Before he could see if they had anything important on them he was interrupted by the sound of gunfire and the scream of a nevermore and death stalker.

"Let's see what the rest of them have gotten themselves into."

He moved quickly through the forest until he arrived to the sight of Ruby dragging a helpless nevermore up a cliff until finally cutting its head off with her scythe.

Team Ceremony a few hours later:

After listening to the different teams being formed it was finally Richard's turn to enter the stage.

"Finally our odd man out. Since you were unable to find a partner you will be given the choice of which team to join."

"Hmm alright." Richard said as he surveyed the rest of the teams formed. After catching Blake's eye he spoke up and said

"I would like to join team RWBY."


	5. Revelation

Ch 5: Revelation

As they walked to their new dorms after the ceremony Ruby was the first one to break the silence.

"So Richard what exactly were you doing in the forest?"

"Once I landed I started searching for someone to work with. I heard Yang fighting a couple of Ursas and started heading there. Before I got there I overheard a group of people talking. I climbed a tree to see what was going on and discovered they were a group of White Fang assassins trying to ambush and kill our group before we could advance at Beacon."

Weiss suddenly looked up and said,

"Wait, the White Fang were trying to find us. Why would they be interested in a group of hunters and huntresses from Beacon?"

"No clue, before I got the chance to look for a letter or mission I heard you guys fighting and ran over to help."

"I thought I heard fighting, we would have gone to investigate but Blake and I hound the ruin."

"Ruin? What did it look like?"

"Well, it was this little circular ruin with several podiums around it and a strange symbol in the middle. Oh wait now I remember there was a strange grave off to the side. Something about this George guy and the White Fang. Why do you ask Richard? Is something wrong?"

"No wonder Ozpin was there." Richard thought to himself but said,

"It's nothing just remembered a place that sounded like that."

"Ok well we're here it says here that this one is ours and the net room is yours Richard it says that you get your own room because there are only four beds but we all still share the same bathroom."

Blake was the first person to enter and set her things down on the nearest bed. Before anyone else could unpack Richard quickly moved across the room and pinned Blake to the nearest wall with a knife to her throat.

"Richard are you cra-."

"Stop! Before we do anything else I would like to know why a lieutenant in the White Fang is enrolled at Beacon. Not just any lieutenant but the same lieutenant that captured my friend and I and got George killed and was the reason I got this." He said as he tore off his bandana with his free hand revealing the jagged burn mark on his face.

"Richard I can explain." Blake said terrified as the knife point moved ever closer to her throat.

"Richard calm down put away the dagger." Yang said stepping slowly towards them.

"I think we should here her side of the story before we jump to any conclusions."

"Fine." He growled as he sheathed the dagger in a sheath hidden on his left foot. "But this better be one hell of an explanation if you want to survive this night."

"He's right, before all this I was one of the White Fangs best fighters. Back then we weren't that violent. We never hurt or killed anyone; we just protested and boycotted discriminatory businesses. I was one of our most ardent supporters and thought what we were doing was right. I thought we were the good guys. That is until that day you and George attacked our warehouse."

"Wait you said George, you mean the same George from the grave we found in the woods." Yang interrupted.

"Yes, Adam and I found them as they were leaving and captured them. I didn't know what Adam was going to do to them until I heard Richard screaming in pain. It made me sick to think that the organization I had supported my whole life could be that cruel. I tried to justify it or forget that moment and it almost worked until you and George escaped and I saw Adam end George in cold blood without any remorse. It was then I truly saw what the White Fang had become. I couldn't eat or sleep until I finally made the decision that I would no longer be a part of this tyranny and escaped the first chance I got. I thought I could just run away from my past until I saw you the first night we were here. I told myself that I would try to speak with you alone and apologize and move forward." Blake concluded with a small tear beginning to run down her cheek.

"Blake, I'm sorry. I let my anger control my actions and I almost did something that I would have really regretted. I just didn't know what to think when I saw you. I just jumped to the worst conclusion."

"Wait a minute how do you know she's telling the truth. She could just be using us." Weiss interjected.

"I can see the truth in her eyes."

"What are you talking about Richard?"

"I looked into her eyes and saw grief and sadness. I saw a person desperately trying to escape the pain and tragedy that she thinks defines her. I see a person who wants nothing more than to forget about the past and run away from the grief. I looked into those eyes and saw the pain and grief in my own eyes after I buried George."

"Richard I"

"No Blake it's okay. I just want to say thank you. From that night I was consumed with the desire to find those criminals and get my revenge but you showed me that there are some things in this world that can help you to move on a lot better than revenge ever could. Now that we've cleared this issue up I'll be getting to sleep."

For the first time in weeks Richard actually thought he had a chance to get a good night sleep that didn't result in bone chilling nightmares that have haunted him. Unfortunately that wouldn't be the case. He found himself in that same alley staring at the fallen body of his comrade and Adam is laughing maniacally in front of him.

"This isn't real. I'm not here."

Suddenly a sharp nudge on the shoulder caused him to wake up screaming flailing his knife and finding Ruby backing towards the door where the rest of her team was.

"What was that Richard you could have hurt my little sister." Yang angrily yelled at him.

"I'm sorry it's just that I still have these nightmares about that night."

"I'm sorry Richard I heard you turning in your sleep and wanted to wake you up"

"It's better for the rest of you to just stay away from me until I'm awake. I don't want to hurt any of you."

"Ok Richard. It won't happen again. I'm sorry." Ruby meekly replied before leaving with the rest of the girls.

"Well, time to see what this day has to offer." Richard thought to himself.


	6. The Lionheart

Ch 6: The Lionheart

As Richard sat in the shower he wondered if he finally found a place that could actually be a home. Everywhere he had gone he had either been thrown out as a freak or rejected as a failure. The only person who had ever stuck by his side was George and now he was gone. These guys seemed like they were good people and wouldn't judge a person based on their past. How could he tell though I mean he barely knew these people? They all could have a reason to hate him.

"I'll just have to go with it and hope for the best" he thought as he got dressed in his uniform and walked to his first class."

After sitting through professor Port's lecture on the particular toxicity of the stinger on each individual species of Deathstalker and Professor Oobleck's in depth lecture on the Faunus riots after the war Richard was ready for a nice relaxing break at lunch. He quickly grabbed a burger and found his friends sitting around a large circular table. He sat down next to Blake and began to enjoy his sandwich. As he finished his meal he looked over to see Cardin trip a small bunny Faunus causing to spill her food everywhere. Instead of helping her up they just laughed and threw bits of their food at her.

"Right, now he's asked for it." Richard said as he got up

"You know Cardin it's not very respectful doing that to a person you don't even know."

"Person, that's not a person it's an animal."

"She has two eyes, two arms, two legs, a human brain and a person's voice. How exactly is she not a person?"

"Look at those ears. That's no person. That is a freak."

"You know Cardin I think I have you figured out. Beneath this entire macho tough guy exterior is a little girl who's afraid that those ears allow her to hear a lot better than you or her frame means she's a lot faster than you. You're not angry at her. You are afraid of the advantages she has that you will never achieve and you're afraid that you'll meet a Faunus that's better than you."

"Oh I see you think you're so clever. Well let's see how clever you are with a black eye." Cardin snarled lifting his fist to attack.

Before he could land the blow his fist was intercepted by Richard's palm.

"That wasn't smart Cardin. I told you I would get you back for the first night." Richard said calmly, his eyes turning a dull gray and a gray aura surrounding him.

His fist connected with the Cardin's jaw sending him flying across the room breaking a table and knocking him unconscious. As he turned to see if the girl was ok he just caught a glimpse of her running out of the cafeteria.

"Richard what was that. That was incredible." Ruby exclaimed when he reached the table.

"It's just my semblance. I can unlock a reserve of strength when I need it."

"What I don't get is why you would go out of your way to help a Faunus considering what they did to you and George." Weiss replied.

"Weiss, I don't hate every Faunus in the world I only hate the White Fang. What a lot of people tend to forget is that not every Faunus in the world belongs to the White Fang. A few rotten apples can spoil the bunch."

As he finished his sentence Richard looked over to see Blake angrily staring at her food then glare at Weiss. They finished their lunch and moved on with the rest of their classes before retiring to their dorm where Richard stayed a little while talking to his team.

"So, did you guys hear about the vinyl festival in a few months? I hear there's going to be a huge tournament with teams from all over th-."

Yang was interrupted by a quick knock at the door. Richard got up to answer it and found the small rabbit Faunus from the cafeteria.

"Hi, uh I'm Velvet and I just wanted to say thank you for helping me and sorry I ran off I just didn't know what to do."

"Hey, I'm Richard and it's no problem. You shouldn't have to deal with people like Cardin. Just know that there are people out there who are always willing to help you when you're in trouble."

"Thank you, I'll try to remember that and it's good to have someone like you at this school."

"You know growing up my family taught me that every Faunus was evil for what they did to our company.'

"Weiss, I can tell you that not every Faunus is a villain it's only the White Fang that are the villains."

"You're right just because some of the Faunus are pure evil doesn't mean they all are."

"Stop calling them pure evil, they aren't." Blake suddenly said from looking up from her book. "The White Fang aren't pure evil. They've just made some mistakes and went down a darker path. No one is pure evil. Everyone can redeem themselves if given the chance."

"I'm sorry Blake but I'm going to have to agree with Weiss on this one the White Fang are too far gone. At this point nothing is going to turn them off of that path."

"How do you know that? The White Fang weren't always that evil they can change."

"Believe me Blake when I say they can't. The hatred and violence has gone too deep the cycle isn't going to end now even if the White Fang decided to return back to what they were."

"You don't even know them all you've ever seen is their cruelty and anger. You have no right to judge them."

"No right to judge them. I have every right to judge them."

"No you don't how could you people say you can judge them you don't even understand them."

"I know a lot more about the White Fang than you and I know when a cause has gone too far."

"You don't know anything about the White Fang. You can't understand it until you are a member and see the discrimination."

"I know about the White Fang because I WAS a member. The White Fang used to be the only thing I knew and cared about."

"But that would mean you are a…"

"Faunus. Yes I am. I was a Faunus of the White Fang until I saw what they were becoming. I was at every rally and boycott until one day I saw their true colors. It was at George's family restaurant. He had fired a Faunus for sleeping on the job and the White Fang felt like he only fired that person because they were a Faunus. They surrounded his shop with torches and bricks and began to destroy it. I knew George had done nothing wrong and didn't deserve this so when they handed me a brick to throw I just dropped it and walked away. Disgusted they called me a dirty traitor and said I didn't deserve to have the tail and ears of a lion. They said if I wasn't going to be brave like a lion then I wasn't going to look like a lion. So they took my tail and my ears and casted me out like common trash. I had nowhere to go so I tried to go and find George. He saw what I did and convinced his dad to take me in. from that day I trained and worked and promised myself I would become strong enough to stop that evil from happening again any way I could."

Without another word Richard went to his bedroom and immediately went to sleep.


	7. A Decision

Ch. 7 A Decision

Richard could felt the usual dread in his stomach as he began to turn and sweat in his sleep. Suddenly he was back at the riot years ago remembering every little detail and horror. He saw the flames begin to engulf the shop as George and his father struggled to save their dearest possessions. He sat there horrified as the people he called noble and trustworthy shattered his best friend's windows and destroyed his livelihood. He looked down at the brick that was just handed to him by his friend and dropped it disgusted at this evil.

"What are you doing? Throw the brick. We're showing these racist bastards what they get for crossing the White Fang."

"This isn't right. They never hurt anyone they don't deserve this treatment."

"Don't deserve this treatment they fired six different Fauni for no reason."

"They did have a reason though. They were sleeping on the job and stealing profits."

"Yeah sure anything to justify their wrongs, now pick up that brick and throw it or do you want to be a human lover."

"I can't do it. I won't let you treat them this way." Richard growled as he walked through the crowd and helped George collect what little he had and walked with him to his car until they drove away.

"You shouldn't have done that you weakling." Came a gruff voice from behind him.

"If you aren't going to act like a Faunus then you aren't going to have the privilege of being treated as a Faunus by us."

"If this is what you mean by acting like a Faunus." Richard said as he gestured to the carnage behind him. "Then I will have no part in it."

"Fine it's your blood then."

As they mobbed him and began to carry him away he noticed something that he had overlooked at the time. It was a teenage girl with cat ears wearing a black shirt and jeans that was around his age standing in the back away from the crowd. In that one instant he could see a small tear flow from her eye before he was torn away and taken to the main camp. He suddenly sat up in a cold sweat staring at the blank wall in of his dorm.

"Time for another sleepless night." He thought to himself as he got up to pour himself a glass of water. He suddenly tensed feeling a presence in the dark behind him. He turned around to find Blake sitting in the corner looking out at the window.

"Blake, what are you doing here it's like three in the morning."

"I couldn't sleep Richard. I wanted to apologize for acting out earlier. I didn't know that was you at the boycott and if I had I wouldn't have lost my temper."

"Blake if there were a way to end this violence in the White Fang and return it to what it once was I would do it in an instant but the reality is that I just don't see that happening. The violence that they've unleashed is not going to end for a long time."

"But if we can just show them violence isn't the answer and mercy and compassion is."

"You might be able to show the White Fang mercy Blake but I don't know if the White Fang will return the gesture. You're going to have to make a decision about the White Fang and that decision might be closer than you think."

"I hope you're wrong about that Richard but I don't think you are. Richard I can't sleep would you mind if I could just fall asleep next to you this one night."

"Sure Blake, maybe I'll be able to get some sleep too."

As Blake cuddled up next to him purring softly Richard began to drift off into sleep. He was suddenly back in that familiar alley with George but this time he didn't feel any fear or dread. As he stood there surrounded by Adam and Blake and protecting George he suddenly saw Blake sheath her weapon and walk to him. She gave him a quick hug causing the whole scene to melt away and yield to a restful sleep.

As he got up he realized that they had a day off today and were free to spend it any way they wanted. He decided to go to town to visit a friend he should have visited a long time ago. As he left the dorm to walk to town he was stopped by his team.

"Richard, where are you going?" Yang asked quizzically

"I have to pay a visit to an old friend in town. It'll only take a minute. I'll be back before lunch."

"It's nothing special but if you all want to come then I don't mind."

As they walked through Beacon and boarded the airship to Vale Weiss was the first person to break the silence.

"Richard I can' forget something you said last night. You said that the only reason you took the job from Schnee was to fight the White Fang. How long have you been working for our family."

"I've was in the mercenary business for two years. Your father would call me for an odd job every month or so. It was never anything too dangerous but it kept the money flowing for George and me."

"How much was my father actually paying you for your work?"

"Anywhere from 2,000 to 5,000 liens a job I've got a good 30,000 lien saved up if you include the last job."

"Wow" Yang was the first to reply. "I guess that makes you one "rich" person." She said with a wry smile.

"Yeah but I never needed that much. It was mostly for George so he could take care of his family later in life. Any way we're here" Richard replied as they reached a little bakery on the corner of a busy intersection.

As he held the door open for the four ladies Ruby was the first one to ask.

"What exactly are we doing in this little bakery Richard?"

"I have to talk to an old friend and mentor." He said as he rang the bell and was greeted by a kind old man.

"Welcome to dragonheart café how can I hel-. Richard is that you my boy it's been far too long now. Please have a seat I'll get your usual order."

He sat down with the rest of his team in a small booth near the back of the bakery. Mr. Dragonheart returned with black coffee and a small croissant. He looked over and noticed the rest of the team and asked.

"I'm sorry I didn't notice you all there. Is there anything I can get for you?"

As he was in the back preparing the food Yang asked:

"What exactly are we doing here in this café? How do you know that man so well?"

Richard just looked into his cup lost in thought while he was mindless ling chewing on his croissant.

"So Richard what brings you here after two months with a new group of friends and my son nowhere in sight?" Mr. Dragonheart said as he passed out everyone's orders.

"I wish I could be here with happier news my old friend but unfortunately that's not the case. A few months ago we were hired to infiltrate and destroy a key White Fang base for 10,000 liens. We couldn't refuse that much money so George and I took the job. We were nearly out of there when we were ambushed and captured. We both suffered pretty bad injuries but George was hurt the worst. After busting out of our cells I helped George through the building until we were ambushed again by the White Fang. I tried to defend George but I couldn't have been everywhere at once and one member was able to stab him through the heart before I could stop him." Richard finished with a single tear streaking down his cheek.

"I see.' He said after a few minutes of stone faced silence. "Did you recover the body or did the White Fang get to him first."

"I was able to escape with George and bury him near an old ruin outside of the city."

"Could you take me there please?"

"Of course, follow me." Richard said as he got up leading Mr. dragonheart to the door."

As they walked Richard tried to explain the last few months to him.

"After I paid my respects I was surprisingly approached by Professor Ozpin who offered to take me into his school. I accepted and spent the remaining time training and working at beacon."

"I don't blame you for taking the offer. Beacon is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I don't blame you for George's passing. I know you did the utmost you could to protect him."

"I've been trying to tell myself that for the last two months but that doesn't matter now. We're here." He said gesturing to the carved tree next to him.

"He always loved the forest. It's for the best that he can spend eternity here. Thank you Richard I'm ready to leave."

As they walked into town Richard stopped and pulled a small envelope out of his pocket.

"Mr. Dragonheart I wanted to give you something. I know it's a poor substitute to the life of my friend but please take the money we were promised. I don't need it as much as you do at the moment and it would make me feel a lot better if I knew you had a little support."

"I cannot thank you enough for this gift Richard. I knew the minute I saw you at our doorstep that you had the courage of a lion and a true heart. I'm glad that you were a friend of George because I could not have thought of anyone better."

Bowing slightly Richard turned to leave the shop with his friends and return to Beacon.


	8. An Unexpected Encounter

Gray Fringes ch 8: An unexpected encounter

Richard woke up peacefully to see a familiar sight next to him snoring lightly. It had been three weeks since Blake had the idea to try to stop the nightmares that had been plaguing and so far it had been working fine. He got up and began to brew some coffee for them and get ready for a big day of training. Today was usually a day set aside for sparring and challenging each other in the arena. As he put on his combat armor the coffee finished with a loud beep and woke Blake.

"Is it already time to get to class?"

"We've got about 35 minutes until class starts." Richard said as he handed her a cup of coffee with two creams and sugar in it. "Today's sparring day and knowing Goodwitch it's going to be a long day."

"We should be fine considering we've never lost a match since the start of the semester. She replied as she took the cup drank slowly.

"That's the point Blake, it's in a bracket style and we're the only two people who are undefeated."

"Oh I forgot about that. That means that today's the final fight for the championship."

"Yep and it's going to be a fight Beacon won't be forgetting any time soon."

"I hope your right. I have to get dressed; I'll see you in class."

As he walked by himself to class Richard suddenly realized that this was going to be the first time he had fought Blake since the fight at the White Fang compound. He had seen her in combat plenty of time and he had fought in front of her just as much but now those strikes will be directed at him and he was expected to counter them and attack with the same ferocity. So much had changed since then but somehow he still found himself in practically the same situation he was in four months before. He arrived at his locker and inspected his weapons for any malfunctions or imperfections. As he loaded his custom clips he thought of how close he'd gotten to Blake and wondered if she was thinking of the same thing right now.

"It's not dangerous and you won't hurt her." He reassured himself and walked into the gymnasium where the fight would take place. He noticed most of the students were sitting and idly talking with each other. Ruby looked to be arguing with Yang until they finally agreed to something and shook hands. Just then Blake walked in and stood at the opposite side of the gym waiting for Goodwitch to start class.

As he stood on his side of the arena he made some final preparations and sheathed his swords with a grim look on his face.

"Are you ok Richard? You look pretty tense for a practice fight in the school gym." Yang asked appearing behind him.

"I'm fine it's just been a while since I've been on the receiving end of that blade."

"Well on the bright side you know she won't kill you if she gets the opportunity only break a leg or something."

"Thanks Yang really assuring you should quit being a huntress and try motivational speaking. You seem to really have a gift."

Just then Goodwitch's voice sounded through the gym.

"As you all are aware this is the final match of our little tournament between Ms. Belledonna and Mr. Lionheart."

Richard got up and unsheathed his swords as the rest of them applauded loudly. Blake stood at the far end of the gym with Gambol Shroud in her hand.

"All right you two know the rules. This is a practice duel. The first person to knock their opponent's aura into the red wins… ready begin."

Blake attacked fist moving in a flurry of motions trying to find any way around Richard's defenses. However Richard had the advantage of having two swords to block and could match each of Blake's moves no matter which direction they came from. He couldn't seem to take the offensive due to Blake's speed so he simply dodged and blocked while waiting for an opening. She fainted right then jumped over his head trying to get behind him which caused Richard's eyes to widen in remembering the time Blake used that exact move to knock out George. In that moment of hesitation Blake turned and struck his back with the flat of her sword sending him flying into a wall and costing him a quarter of his aura.

"Ok Blake that's how we are going to play this." Richard growled as he transformed his left sword into a custom pistol. He closed his blue eyes for two second and opened them to reveal a pair of dull gray eyes and a small gray aura surrounding. He pressed his attack swirling and slashing with his sword and firing his custom air slugs that would fire small pockets of compressed air powerful enough to knock someone off of their feet. The only keeping Blake in the fight was her amazing speed. She would block Richard's sword then jump away from his pistol and attack from a different angle. A normal opponent wouldn't be able survive her first counter but Richard was no ordinary foe. He had the strength of a lion and the reflexes of the fastest big cat. He moved and blocked each counter then returned with his own lightning fast strike. They were a blur of motion moving back and forth through the arena unable to land a concrete blow to each other. After ten minutes of this Blake decided to try to duplicate her earlier success by feigning right then going over him. He had been anticipating this strike however and was ready to counter it. He pretended to take her feint and quickly struck upwards when she went over him causing her to go flying across the room twenty feet. She somehow landed on her feet but lost a good chunk of aura from the initial blow. As she landed she quickly transformed her sword and fired it at Richard hoping to catch him off guard. Richard had been waiting for this opportunity for the entire match and wouldn't let it slip away from him. As it came hurdling at him he quickly turned his body watching it go flying by just inches from his face. In one quick move he sliced his sword upwards cutting the small ribbon holding the sword grabbing the jagged piece of ribbon he pulled a startled Blake right at him. He quickly spin kicked her then fired an air round point blank at her chest causing her to go sailing and her aura to reach level to turn red.

A wild uproar erupted from the crowd as they cheered on the winner. Richard just calmly bent down picked up what was left of Gambol Shroud and extended his hand to Blake.

"Sorry about the sword. I went a little overboard with that."

"It's fine Richard. I should've expected that would happen considering that's not the first time you've used that move on me."

Richard cracked a small grin. "Well I hope it turns out to be the last time and it might be beneficial for you to invest in a sturdier substance for that ribbon."

"Duly noted." Blake said as her classmates swarmed the gym putting Richard on their shoulders and cheering his name. They carried him to a large platform where Professor Goodwitch and Ozpin were waiting with a trophy and medal. As Richard reached the platform Ozpin handed him the trophy of a hunter standing triumphantly over a slain Ursa to Richard while Goodwitch put the medal around his sweaty neck.

"Congratulation young man here you are the annual fall tournament duel award and one last thing, I need to speak with you privately. Be at my office tomorrow at eight."

"Yes sir and thank you for the medal."

Yang was the first one to reach him followed by the rest of the team.

"We have to go out today and celebrate. That was a BATTLE."

"What do you have in mind Yang?"

"I know this great place downtown if you and Blake are up to it."

"I'm fine. Just a little winded but I'll be good in an hour or two. How about you Blake?

"I'm fine too. I'll just need a minute to recover from that. Now if you'll excuse me I need to fix my sword."

"What do you mean Blake? We aren't going to be using our weapons for rest of the day." Ruby asked confused.

"I don't like the idea of not having my weapon at my side. It makes me nervous."

"To each his own I guess. We'll see you later then Blake." Weiss replied.

Richard immediately fell into his bed asleep once he reached his room. He fell asleep for at least two hours in his sleep without even changing out of his combat gear. He woke up to the beeping of his message pad. He looked at the message and suddenly dropped it in surprise. There in bold letters was written by an anonymous number:

Word around town says that there will be a planned attack on Dusk till Dawn tonight. Make sure nothing happens and you will receive the usual amount.

-S

"Can't get one night of fun with my teammates can I Schnee." He thought to himself as he got up and took a quick shower. He sat down on his couch for a second and stared at the ground.

"Am I really going to get back into this life? No I owe it to George to do whatever I can to stop these bastards."

He picked up his message pad and sent the same message to each of his teammates:

"I'll explain later but I need you all to bring your full combat gear and weapons tonight. Just trust me it's important."

He put his gray padded armor and sturdy armor under a comfortable pair of jeans and a plain gray T- shirt and went to meet his friends in front of the school. He walked up to see Weiss, Ruby, Yang and Blake waiting in front of the airship.

"Glad you could make it princess. What took you so long?" Yang joked.

"I was asleep until about fifteen minutes ago. So you have a place in mind Yang."

"Oh yeah, I know this great place on 34th street."

"It's not a club is it because I don't think Ruby can pull off 21?"

"Oh don't worry about that. We have a system for these things."

"Ok but I would not recommend drinking much tonight. I'd prefer we don't drink at all."

"And why would we not. Is this about that whole bringing your gear thing? What is going on here? You're not telling us something important."

"Well I got an anonymous tip from a business associate that there was going to be something big going on tonight?"

"Wait, what? I thought you had given the mercenary deal up man. Why can't we just have fun and let the police handle this mysterious attack?"

"Yang if the police could handle it then I wouldn't be bothering it but that fact of the matter is the police isn't solving anything and the situation isn't getting any better."

Blake was the first one to speak up.

"I think I know another reason for this. These thugs are actually the White Fang and you can't stand the fact that they are still successfully operating."

"I can't get anything by you Blake can I? I'm not forcing you all to fight these terrorist but know this, when the time comes I'll be at that store ready for a fight and it's up to you if you want to help me."

"I for one am not going to miss an opportunity to stall these criminals even if it isn't permanent." Weiss said as she walked over to Richard's side.

"I don't want to see Richard get hurt while I sit around and do nothing. What do you say Yang you up for it? Ruby asked.

"I'm always up for a good fight, especially against guys who did so much harm to my friends." Yang replied.

"Blake earlier I told you that you would have to make a decision regarding the White Fang. I learned the hard way that you can never truly escape your past and the best you can do is refuse to let your past define you. I'm not forcing you to do anything you don't want to do and I won't think any differently of you but I just want to let you know that this isn't going to be the last time we see the White Fang and sooner or later they are going to be at our doorstep if we don't act."

"Your right Richard I hoped you wouldn't be but I knew you were. I'm ready to do this. I won't let the White Fang rule my life. Now is the time to show them that Vale won't lie down and accept their tyranny."

"That's decided then but Richard when is this going to happen?" Weiss asked curiously.

"I'd say in about ten minutes." Richard replied pointing to a couple of red haired men one in a bright white suit and the other in a black and red suit with a small rose embroidered while wearing a white mask.

"Adam" Blake weakly said.

"Looks like he has that Torchwick guy with him too." Richard said as he put a reassuring hand on Blake's shoulder.

"Time to pay our little friends here a visit and show them that not everyone in Vale is willing to bend knee to their tyranny." Richard growled loading his weapons with the usual heavy knockout slugs.


	9. A Dark Premonition

Ch. 9 A Dark Premonition

"Ok everyone we know where they are heading and they don't see us. What's next?"

"Well we know they'll be going to the dust store on 30th street so we just stay out of sight and follow them" Ruby answered.

"There is one problem though. The White Fang would surely run if they knew the odds were against them." Blake said.

"That's why when we reach the store and they are holding the place up you all find a place to conceal yourself while I draw them into the street where we can ambush them." Richard replied.

They all agreed and began to follow Adam separately as to not raise any suspicion. Richard pulled out a pair of sunglasses so they wouldn't recognize his face. They followed the two down a series of busy roads and noticed their number growing with each turn. By the time they had reached the dust shop there were at least twenty men with Adam and Roman all waiting outside. Richard calmly walked over to a nearby park bench and pulled out a book to read while the rest of the team moved to other various shops and parks. As he sat there reading he noticed the guards eyeing him suspiciously from across the street. He simply got his tablet out and messaged his team that the target would be leaving soon. As he finished a chapter he looked up to see Roman and Adam calmly leaving with two briefcases full of dust and an arrogant smile on both of their faces.

"These people never know to close shop this early do they. It's almost like they want us to take their dust." Roman laughed.

"You'd think they'd have taken a hint from the other ten stores we've robbed in the last few months." Adam replied

"Oh well pretty soon and we'll practically own ever du-." He was interrupted by a tall figure blocking the street.

"Excuse me you're blocking our path so I'd suggest you move or we'll be forced to move you"

"Roman Torchwick it has been a while now hasn't it. You probably don't recognize me with the glasses on." Richard said as he removed his glasses revealing deep blue eyes full of menace.

"I'm sorry but who the hell are you coming here alone threatening the White Fang." Adam replied angrily.

"I thought you of all people would recognize these eyes Adam. Maybe it would help if you picture them a dull gray."

That last word caused a small memory to spark in his head making him take a half step back and snarl menacingly.

"Your friend seemed to figure it out Roman maybe this would help as well." Richard said staring directly at Roman before removing his blue bandana fully showing his pale white scar on his cheek.

"Oh if it isn't our little mercenary, Richard was it. I guess revenge can cause you to do suicidal things like facing us alone."

"Who said I was alone Torchwick?"

As he finished his sentence four figures suddenly leaped into the alley weapons brandished.

"Well what do we have here? If it isn't Ms. Red herself with the heiress of the Schnee dust company I have to thank you for saving us the trouble of finding you and I don't know who you are exactly Blondie and finally-."

"Blake" Adam finished. "What are you doing here? Are you actually helping these monsters?"

"We're not the monsters here Taurus. You White Fang criminals are the monsters here. When I was in your base those months ago I stumbled upon your little plan for Beacon and Vale. Did you really think you could try that much and not expect anyone to fight back?"

"I wasn't talking to you scum. Why Blake, after everything we went through your willing to throw it all away?"

"Adam, I want to see this discrimination and hatred end just as badly as you but this isn't the right way. Do you really think associating yourself with these criminals will help people accept the Faunus?"

"They don't accept us willingly so it's my goal to make them accept us. Humanity won't change otherwise."

"That's where you are mistaken Adam. I was accepted by humans when I needed them the most so was Blake and every Faunus in Beacon." Richard replied.

"What do you know mercenary? How could you possibly understand our fight? If you did you wouldn't have been in that base in the first place."

"You really don't remember do you? You were there with Blake when the White Fang took my tail and ears and casted me out. You make yourself the victim when in reality you're just as evil. I'm not letting you leave this place with those cases." Richard growled as he unsheathed his two swords brandishing them for a fight. In one instant the little alley turned into a war zone. The White Fang split into three groups: Most of the guards attacked Ruby and Weiss near the left of the alley, meanwhile Blake and Yang tag teamed against Roman causing explosions and fire to rocket from Roman's can and Yang's gauntlets, that just left Richard to fight solo against Adam in the middle of the street.

"I remember you now. You were that brat kid that wouldn't help burn down that bakery." Adam laughed as he blocked both of Richard's swords and kicked him away.

"It's ironic Adam that you would bring that up because if it wasn't for that night I would be fighting with you but instead here I am taking you down." Richard replied as he quickly blocked Adam's strike and returned with a quick slash that connected with his chest causing him to fly backwards.

"You were weak Richard. In this world only the strong survive the bloody evolution. You're supporting a dying cause. Soon there won't be any of you left to save it." Adam growled as he renewed his assault slashing and hacking with lightning speed.

"Once again your shortsightedness will be your downfall. You may have men and strength but you'll find that victory can be found not just in strength but the smaller things something with a simpler more honest source." Richard retorted as he masterfully blocked each attack and returned with a volley of his own attacks one of which found its mark and knocked Adam away. As he stood up Adam looked around to realize the battle was not going well for him. Ruby and Weiss had nearly defeated the 20 White Fang Guards and Blake and Yang were wearing Roman down even though they still hadn't landed a hit. Just then the sound of an airship rang in the distance and two White Fang ships arrived at the alley.

"That's our ride." Roman said as he fired a smoke bomb in front of him disorientating Blake and Yang for a second. Richard quickly moved and knocked a briefcase away from Adam but was unable to get the second one. In the ensuing confusion he pulled out a special clip of tracking rounds Schnee had given him before the first mission. He quickly fired one round at the briefcase in Roman's hand before they escaped on the airship.

"Bastards got away." Weiss yelled in frustration.

"Not necessarily." Richard replied pulling out a small tracker from his pocket. "Anyways it has gotten way too late and we need to head back to Beacon. Is everyone ok?"

They all nodded in agreement and began to make their way back to Beacon. As they walked away Blake walked beside Richard and began to talk with him.

"I'm sorry Richard. I should have help you with Adam but I couldn't bring myself to fight him. I was weak."

"Blake the last word I would use to describe you is weak and I understand if you have trouble with Adam but I hope you realize you saw his true colors today."

"I know and I hate to believe it but it's true. The White Fang are beyond saving and now it's my duty to make sure they don't harm any more innocent people."

"I'm glad you came to that decision because I don't think that's the last we'll be seeing Roman or Adam now let's get some rest and focus on class tomorrow."


	10. An Important Lesson

Gray Fringes Ch. 10: An Important Lesson

Richard woke up to the sound of heavy knocking on his door. He got up and quickly put his uniform on before answering the door. He was surprised to see professor Goodwitch in front of the door with a scowl on her face.

"Professor Goodwitch what are you doing here at my dorm?"

"I'm just here to remind you of your meeting with Professor Ozpin after classes tonight. Just in case you forgot due to your antics last night."

"Understood ma'am I'll head over there at 8 o'clock sharp. Thank you."

"Have a nice day Richard and please try to refrain from getting yourself killed."

As Goodwitch turned to leave the rest of team RWBY looked out of there door confused that Goodwitch was in the dorms.

"What was that about Richard?" Yang asked.

"Goodwitch was just reminding me that Ozpin wanted to talk to me tonight."

"Why would Ozpin want to speak with you? You think it's about that fight last night?" Blake asked.

"It could be about that or it might be something else. Is it against the rules to defend an innocent man?"

"I don't know if there is a rule against that but they certainly don't accept students dying in the streets of Vale." Weiss replied.

"This White Fang problem will only get worse if we don't do anything soon." Richard said.

"Yeah but I don't know if Ozpin would agree with you on that one Richard. The thing that matters to him the most to him is how well we slay monsters and I don't know if he understands how far the White Fang are willing to go." Yang replied.

"I'll talk to him and show him how dangerous the White Fang really are then. We need to be ready for their next move."

"That begs the question though. What will they do next?" Weiss asked nervously.

"I don't know Weiss but we can't underestimate the boldness of our enemy. We have no idea how far they are willing to go. One thing is certain though, they want us out of the picture."

"The only things we can do right now are train and prepare ourselves for their next move whatever it is." Blake said.

"I guess but I just can't shake the feeling that something big is going to happen soon." Richard replied.

"Maybe you should talk to Ozpin about it tonight then." Ruby suggested.

"I will now let's get to class."

They all walked into Professor Oobleck's history class and took their seats right as the bell rang.

"Good morning class. Today we will be discussing the origin and history of the White Fang." Oobleck said as he sped franticly through the classroom.

"Why do we have to study the White Fang? All they are is a radical group of terrorist. They aren't capable of doing any real damage." Cardin complained

"You should be wary of history Mr. Winchester for if you fail to learn from it then you are destined to repeat it." Oobleck responded ominously.

"I don't see how we could ever manage to repeat the insanity these psychopaths do each day."

"Even if you don't make their mistakes you should be wary of any foe. Overconfidence has been the downfall of many heroes stronger than you Mr. Winchester. Now if there aren't any more interruptions let's move on with class."

Oobleck proceeded to go around the room explaining the origins of the White Fang movement and its dark turn and plunge into violent revolution. The bell rang as Oobleck finished explaining the different types of White Fang terror tactics.

"Ok class I want a detailed paper on the latest White Fang attacks by next Tuesday and remember history forgotten is destined to repeat itself."

Next was Professor Port's Grimm Studies class. Richard walked in and quickly found a seat towards the back behind Yang and Blake.

"Honor, Chivalry, loyalty and a true devotion to those around you. These are the characteristics that define a true hunter or huntress." Port began as class started. "Why these specific traits you might ask? The best teammates display each of these traits and embody a selfless role model. Each team cannot function without these traits and a team that cannot do this cannot hope to stand against the creatures of Grimm or any foe for that matter. Our soul is what separates us from the monstrosities we fight, always remember that. To be a hunter you must never be willing to lower yourself to the tactics of the Grimm. To preserve your humanity you need to be fearless against your foes and tactful at all times. Anger is what drives our prey and rules their actions. You cannot let anger overwhelm you no matter what you've lost. You have to be stronger than your foe both physically and mentally and to never underestimate the tenacity of your enemy. Remember this class the creatures of Grimm will show you no mercy and it may be very easy to tell yourself not to show any mercy as well but take heed that mindset is a trap that could lead to a life of merciless retribution and a loss of your humanity. In this world we live in we must always remember that sometimes the end result is not worth the means it took to achieve it and to never fall into the trap of blindly seeking vengeance. Have a good afternoon everyone and remember this lesson for it may be the difference between success and failure." Port finished as the bell for lunch rang.

As his friends grabbed their lunch and found a table near the back of the lunchroom Richard sat down in the farthest seat and began stare out at the school grounds lost in thought. He suddenly saw a movement in one of the bushes and a glint that he could have sworn looked like the sun reflecting off of a metal object. He began to look closer at the surrounding bushes but was interrupted by Yang shouting.

"Richard hello you there. What are you looking at anyway?"

"What oh yeah it was nothing I was just thinking to myself."

"Okay well we were just talking about Port's lecture and were asking you what you thought about it."

"He may be right about being a loyal teammate but I don't see how you can stay alive when you let your foe live to fight another day."

"If we can't preserve our humanity and be willing to show our enemies our goodness then how are we any better than them." Ruby replied.

"I hope that thinking doesn't get you killed Ruby but I know they would have to go through me to get to you. The one thing that did stick out to me was his lecture on vengeance. It is a dangerous trap to fall into being consumed by anger and vengeance."

"Once you've fallen into that trap it becomes nearly impossible to escape." Blake said looking down at her meal.

"It's a tough lesson to learn but we all need to learn it someday anyway how have everyone been coming along with training."

"It's just the usual running swimming and punching the crap out of every dummy I can get a hold of." Yang replied.

"Good. Everyone needs to be on their guard I've got a bad feeling that the White Fang might try something against us soon."

The bell rang as lunch ended and the last class of the day began. After class Richard went with the rest of his friends to the dorm to work on the essay Oobleck assigned them.

"It says here on this website that the White Fang are notorious for their head on attacks and brash nature. They won't hesitate to retaliate against their enemies immediately and head on." Yang said. "Richard you know that it is 7:30 right now. Don't you have that meeting with Ozpin?"

"Yeah I should get to that. I'll be back in a little while guys."

As he walked to Ozpin's office Richard could not shake the feeling that he was being followed. He would slightly move his head and look backwards with his peripheral vision but wouldn't notice anything unusual. This continued until he passed the bush he thought he saw move at lunch. He pushed it apart and noticed a pair of prints left by a boot in the soft ground. He immediately took a detour to his locker to pick up his weapon and put his armor on. He walked into Ozpin's office with ten minutes to spare and found him sitting there drinking from his usual glass of coffee.

"Ah Richard, do you know why I called you in here tonight?"

"No sir."

"I'm worried about you Richard. I'm worried that someone who has gone through the last year you've had might turn down a darker path."

"I don't quite understand sir. What do you mean by darker path?"

"I wanted to speak with you regarding the White Fang and from that little incident in front of Dusk till Dawn I have a feeling you haven't moved on from your imprisonment by them."

"They were robbing an innocent man, I had to stop them. The police weren't going to do anything and we were the only ones who could fight them."

"Richard, I invited you to Beacon so you would get away from the White Fang and try to start over but it seems the White Fang aren't finished with you."

"We can't just sit around and do nothing sir. The White Fang are getting stronger each day."

"I never said we wouldn't do anything but tell me Richard why do you fight the White Fang?" Ozpin asked staring directly into Richard's eyes.

"I don't want to see their crimes go unpunished without any justice."

"I can tell when people are hiding something Richard and I know about your past now why are you so eager to fight the White Fang."

"I-I don't want to see them walk away from what they did to me without paying for it."

"You know why this isn't the right path to take Richard. It will only lead to destruction."

"Why is it wrong to attack those who want to kill you professor? Why is it wrong to use a little hatred to drive you to victory? Every time I've fought them my desire to see them pay has given me victory." Richard yelled angrily.

Ozpin just looked at him and calmly said

"Richard, vengeance is like a bright fire in a dry forest. If watched and monitored it can keep you warm and safe and even save your life but neglect it for one second and everything around you will be consumed by flame. It is too easy to lose control of yourself and react on impulse driven by vengeance. Think about those times you have been so angry and spiteful you nearly made a fatal mistake."

Richard backed up a few steps and nearly fell over as he remembered the anger he felt after George died and the time he nearly cut Blake's throat open on the second day of class. Both times he had lost all reason and nearly lost a close friend and teammate.

"You see Richard you can't let that rage fuel you and dictate what you do. You have to be able to throw it aside and trust your own abilities and judgment."

"I'm sorry professor Ozpin thank you for this but I need some time to think."

"Good night Richard and remember that in darkness you can only find more darkness. If you decide to raise your sword in battle do it not as a revenge seeking mercenary but as a warrior seeking to put an end to the darkness."

Richard left the room and headed past the girl's room into his own and immediately fell asleep with a thousand questions swirling in his head.

Across Vale a group of seven ships loaded with men took off from a warehouse on the water heading for Beacon.

"Remember our goal; put an end to this little band of hunters and huntresses by any means necessary." A mysterious voice rang from the shadows inside the lead ship.


	11. A Turning Point

Gray Fringes Ch. 11 A Turning Point.

Richard sat wide awake in the middle of his bed staring at the ceiling. He had been able to sleep for a little while but woke up and couldn't fall asleep. It seemed like both the lecture Ozpin gave him and a feeling of strange paranoia was keeping him awake. He was interrupted by the faint sound of footsteps near his door. He feigned sleeping as he grasped his swords ready to strike. He heard a door open and immediately jolted out of bed swords flashing to a surprised Blake.

"What are you doing Richard? It's just me. What are you so worried about?"

"Blake is that you? I couldn't sleep and I just think something is going to happen to us. Why are you here anyway?"

"I just can't seem to sleep in that room with the rest of the team."

"Come on then maybe I can get some sleep too."

Pretty soon Blake was snoring softly as Richard lay still looking up at the ceiling. He tried to close his eyes and sleep but he just couldn't go to sleep.

"Why is it so important for me to have to show mercy when I know they would never do the same to me? If I'm not fighting to avenge my friend an settle my past then what am I fighting for? How can someone just let a known criminal and murderer go without some form of retribution? Can I even control myself in that moment to do the right thing? What would everyone think of me if I can't do the right thing?" he thought to himself as he lay there awake. He looked over at the clock and realized it was already two o'clock.

"Damn I've got 5 hours until everyone is awake and getting ready for class and I still can't get to sleep."

Even though he was awake now he could slowly feel the tiredness in his eyes and realized he would fall asleep out of sheer exhaustion soon. He suddenly heard faint almost inhumanly silent footsteps coming down the hall.

"Who the hell is awake at two in the morning?" He thought as he immediately closed his eyes and feigned sleep.

Suddenly a strange figured slowly opened picked the lock on his door and opened it.

"Would you look at that, two of em in the same bed this will be easier than I tho-." He was interrupted by a small knife piercing his throat and a fully awake hunter sitting up.

Richard immediately sprang out of bed waking Blake up and launched into the hallway where he met two more strange men each in front of team RWBY and JNPRs doors. He struck first at the man in front of JNPRs dorm stabbing him in the back with his left sword. In the other room Ruby drowsily opened her eyes until she saw the 6 foot tall man standing over her with an assault rifle. Before she could even react a shot was heard across the room and the man fell with pistol round in his back. Richard rushed in a moment later making sure no one else was threatening them and yelling at his team:

"Everyone get the hell up we have to get out of here someone is trying to get rid of us." He yelled as he fired another round in the air causing both team RWBY and JNPR to jump out of bed and Blake to run to the door.

"Richard what is going on here? Why is there a dead guy in our room and in the hall?" Yang asked clearly shocked at the events that just transpired.

"We've got a problem a very big problem. Those aren't normal mercenaries. Those guys work for the White Fang which means that there is probably a good many attacking the school right now."

"What are we going to do though? We can't just sit here and wait for another group and we can't do anything without our armor."

"Which is why we are going to make a break for the locker room and get our gear then we are going to take the fight to the White Fang Weiss." Richard replied.

He walked over to one of the soldiers and took his knife out and cleaned it on the man's shirt.

"Each White Fang soldier has a rifle of some sort and a sword. You should all arm yourselves with one of those until we can get our gear. It's likely that we will meet opposition along the way; get ready for a fight." Richard commanded to both teams.

They all did their best to find a weapon and make sure everyone was armed. Jaune was the only person without a weapon.

"Here Jaune you can use one of my swords. Press this button and it transforms into a .45 caliber pistol now is everyone ready to move and one more thing these guys will not hesitate to end your life I suggest you all take that into consideration."

"Richard you can't be serious right now. It goes against everything we've been taught to ruthlessly kill human beings." Ruby replied shocked.

"I understand that Ruby and hate it as much as you but the fact of the matter is we have no armor and don't have our weapons. If we are going to get to our gear alive we can't take any risks right now."

They all nodded and stealthily walked down the hall and out the door. As they reached the front lobby the door was blown apart and a group of at least 40 White Fang guards burst through the door weapons flashing. Ruby and Blake struck first using their speed to dodge attacks and counter with the swords they picked up taking down at 15 guards. Pyrrah, Nora and Ren both stayed back using the cover of the doors and couches to pin down a group of guards with assault rifles distracting and taking out at least 10 guards. Jaune and Richard had teamed up to take on a group of about 10 guards using each other as support and alternating targets to confuse the guards. Juane was surprisingly cool under fire yelling orders and dodging attacks while letting Richard move from guard to guard ending most of the group. They moved on to help Yang and Weiss, who were having trouble adjusting to the completely different style of fighting and weapons. Richard went through the group slashing and stabbing each soldier. He looked around and realized the rest of his team had already cleaned up and took out the rest of the guards.

"Let's go there are probably more guards along the way we have to move now." Richard said as he suddenly caught a glimpse of something in what looked like an officer's pocket. He picked it up and realized it was an unscathed tablet that had their complete strategy and communication system. He quickly stowed it away and moved on to the shattered doorway. Outside was a scene of complete and utter chaos. The once peaceful and tranquil school was now a warzone between what looked like over 200 White Fang guards and the complete Vale police force which had just arrived in force. They were all either fighting in hand to hand combat in the main courtyard or using fallen pillars and rubble for cover in medium range gunfights. In the sky above both White Fang and Police gunships were flying around engaging against each other in ferocious dogfights.

"We're going to have to go into that aren't we." Jaune asked with a slight quiver in his voice.

"No we'll let the police handle the bulk of the force. We have to sneak around to the east building where our lockers are then when we have all of our gear we find whoever orchestrated this attack and end it." Richard replied grimly.

They used the chaos around them to sneak around the edge of the courtyard and to the east building where the lockers were. They slipped into the entrance unseen and began to navigate through the hallways silently taking out any guards they encountered. After a few turns and hallways they reached the doorway leading to the locker room. The only other people in there were a small group of guards trying to figure out the code to launching the lockers away. They were dispatched quickly without anyone else noticing.

"Ok everyone get to your lockers and get your gear and Juane I need my sword. I'll keep watch of the door while you guys get ready." Richard commanded.

He took his sword from Juane and loaded a fresh round of slugs to each weapon. He walked over to the door and looked in the hall to make sure no one was approaching. He heard footsteps from what he guessed to be about five people and hushed voices.

"Hurry up you idiots before they can regroup and get their armor." Came an unfortunately familiar voice.

Richard immediately shut the door and waited on the balls of his feet ready to take the ambushers by surprise. Just as the rest of them were getting their lockers open Adam kicked the door open but was immediately tackled back through the door way. Richard kicked him away then stood in front of the doors both swords raised and ready to defend it.

"Well Adam why am I not surprised to find you here trying to ambush us before we can be at our full strength? Is it perhaps a desire to defeat us when we don't stand a chance against you or maybe I detect a hint of fear and knowledge that you couldn't beat us any other way?"

"Such arrogance especially from the man who decided to charge headfirst singlehandedly into a fight against five of our finest warriors and myself. Now we're going through those doors regardless of what you do."

"The only way you're going to get into that locker room is over my dead body."

"I was hoping you'd say that." Adam smirked as he and two guards charged simultaneously swords flashing.

Richard paused a moment then rolled forward under their attack before kicking Adam square in the chest sending him into the opposite wall. The next instant two guards lunged and tried to attack from the left. Richard quickly used his left sword to catch both the blades and the right to attack upwards hitting them across the chest and knocking them out of the fight. He rolled back and got on his feet just in time to see Adam charging him at full speed. Richard was immediately put on the defensive having to defend against Adam and three guards. He reacted on pure instinct dodging and blocking strikes until he managed to stop two attacks with both swords and leaving his side open for the third person. He was struck in the ribs and lost nearly a quarter of his aura in the resulting aura in the impact with the ground. He immediately got up only to see them charging at him again. Before he could even react a streak of red and gold caught one of the guards in a corner of his armor and pinned him against the wall. Pyrrha immediately knocked out the pinned man with a swift punch and grabbed her weapon.

"I'm sorry I took so long Richard everyone else is nearly done."

"Actually Pyrrha I couldn't have asked for a better time for a little help now for the matter at hand."

Richard charged directly at Adam taking the offensive while Pyrrha went to work against the last two guards. Pyrrha used her shield to block the first one's attack before dodging below the second one and hitting him across the head with the butt of her spear knocking him unconscious. She then turned on the last guard and launched several attacks with her spear which were blocked until he accidentally reached too far with an attack leaving his right side exposed for a split second. Pyrrha immediately used her shield to knock him across the room and unconscious. Meanwhile Adam and Richard were engaged in a fierce back and forth fight throughout the hallway. They both attacked and counter attacked but couldn't seem to be able to land any substantial blow. Richard would attack with one sword while using the other sword to strike from a completely different direction but he wouldn't be able to land a blow large enough to take Adam down. Adam would counter with a series of lighting fast strikes in every possible directions but Richard would be able to block each one with his swords. One strike did connect however sending Richard skidding five feet away. As they sat there staring each other down, beads of sweat starting to form on their foreheads, Adam tried to take Richard by surprise by firing his sword out of his sheathe at him. Richard was expecting something like this and managed to move his head to one side and catch the sword by its handle. Before Adam could recover from the shock of losing his weapon Richard shot forward and kicked his sheathe out of his hand and raised the now pistol level with Adam's forehead.

"Go ahead Richard I know exactly what you're thinking. This is your best chance to avenge your little friend you know."

"Richard, don't do it. The minute you stoop to his level you're no better than this." Pyrrha said as she gestured to the damage around her.

Richard stood there silent staring directly into Adams eyes behind his mask with a grim expression. At that moment the rest of both the teams came bursting through the room but were immediately stopped by the sight in front of them.

"Three months ago I would have pulled this trigger without any hesitation Adam. I should feel nothing but anger and hatred towards you but I can only feel pity. You've let your anger towards those you fight twist and corrupt you. You fought to stop being seen as an animal but now all this anger and violence has done is turn you into an animal with no remorse or soul. Your failure isn't worth me losing my humanity but you don't have to live like that. No one is too far gone and everyone can change if they're given the chance Adam."

Richard put his pistol at his side. Adam immediately lunged forward trying to retrieve his sword. Before anyone else could react Richard swung his let pistol across his head knocking him unconscious.

"I said I wouldn't end him but I didn't say I wouldn't take his freedom. Half of us will wait here to guard him until the police can arrive to apprehend him. The other half will move on to take on whoever started this behind those doors there."

Team JNPR stayed behind while Team RWBY moved on up a few flights of stairs and down the hall at a light jog with Richard in front. Richard paused suddenly when he heard the rumble of a ship hovering near the balcony through the doors in front of them. Richard was the first one to go through the doors and reaching a large balcony with three or four tables used as a dining area. As soon as he passed through the door a wall of pure magical fire enveloped blocked the doorway leaving him alone with a mysterious woman in a flaming red dress standing in the doorway of a White Fang ship. Richard immediately switched to his two pistols and loaded a special magazine loaded with electronic scrambling shells he got from a contract two years ago.

"So you must be this Richard person my associates have been talking about. Hmm you don't look like much of a hero to me."

"I remember you now. You were there at that prison with Torchwick and Adam. You probably don't remember my voice so maybe this will help." Richard said as he threw off his bandana revealing his now infamous burn scar.

"Ah yes another hero out for revenge of justice or some nonsense like that. I will say however you are much bolder than the other fools who've thought to challenge me unfortunately you'll have to die like the rest of them."

She fired two quick fireballs that scorched towards Richard at an alarming pace. She was surprised however to see Richard instinctively roll to one side and come up firing three shells into the cockpit of her craft frying the navigation systems and causing it to fall to the ground. She immediately jumped off onto the balcony just fifteen feet away from Richard. While this was going on Richard quickly switched the electronic magazine with another special magazine that shot compressed air like a bullet instead of a metal slug. He turned his right weapon into a sword and left his other weapon as a pistol.

"I'm impressed Richard but you should know by now that you've only made the situation worse for yourself." She said laughing as she made two more fireballs appear in her hand.

She suddenly jumped in the air launching fireball after fireball a Richard while the rest of his team watched helplessly from the hallway. Richard instinctively rolled past the first one and fired round after round into the center of each fireball causing it to dissipate before reaching their target before he took off into a dead sprint straight at his opponent. As he got within striking distance he was met with a solid wall of fire that he expertly slid under before striking upwards with his sword. He was met by a small force field hitting his sword just before it could connect with her chest. Before he could react a second hand shot a ball of energy that sent him flying away. He hit the ground with his feet and did two rolls before landing in a crouched position and running again at her dodging attacks and getting in close to strike with a sword. He attacked the same way but instead of striking with a sword he kicked her hand away and hit her square in the chest with an airburst causing her to fall backwards. She fired a single attack while falling that hit Richard full bore in the chest nearly melting his armor and causing his aura to hit red as he fell backwards another ten feet on his back. He grimaced as he tried to get up with a small trail of blood running from his mouth to his cheek. He stood up briefly before falling to his knees eyes closed in pain.

"You've given me a better fight than most Richard but just like every hero you will fall alone with no hope and only fear remaining in your heart."

"No you're wrong you bastard. I may fall but not like this." He said, his eyes turning a dull gray and a gray semblance outlining his body. He stood up ignoring the pain and raised two swords ready to fight. He lunged forward with a renewed vigor and determination to win. He relied on pure instinct to dodge and roll around each attack and to strike and counter and feign attacks. He pressed forward ignoring the pain enveloping his entire being as he continued his assault. He feigned left then attacked to her right side but found both swords blocked by one field on her hand. The second hand quickly struck with an astonishing force cracking several of his ribs and causing his swords to go flying to the other side of the balcony under a table. As he sat there on his knees again he couldn't withstand the feeling of death creeping up to him. All of his other emotions and worries disappeared as he was faced with the cold icy sting of death. He looked up at his foe with what little dignity he had left and smiled a sweet taste in his mouth. Suddenly as the final blow was approaching in the form of one last fireball a spectacular flash of purple energy enveloped him. All he saw before finally succumbing to unconsciousness was a streak of blonde and a pair of glasses.


	12. An Inner Demon

Ch 12 An Inner Demon

Richard sat up and looked around at the dark and depressing room around him. His hands were tied to a single metal pole that formed a ring into the ground making it impossible to escape. He was dressed in a ragged t shirt and torn blue jeans with no armor or weapons. When he realized the situation he was in he thrashed around helplessly pulling the chains and trying to escape. When he realized it was futile he took inventory of his surroundings. It was a dark room with a single door with a cement wall and a dirt floor. There was nothing else there beside the one pole holding him down and the small rays of light poking through minuscule holes in the roof. He ventured a question to see if he was alone or being watched.

"Hello is anyone here? What's going on and why am I locked in this little hellhole?"

"Look at this our little hero is finally awake. Just in time as well I was about to take him for dead and feed him to the dogs." Came an eerily sinister and familiar voice echoing through the room.

"You! I should have known you were here. Where the hell are you keeping me and where is my team you heartless monster?"

"Your friends oh you mean that little group of troublemakers. Haven't you already figured it out yet? You failed them just like you've failed everyone you've met. I'm honestly astonished anyone has come within ten feet of you knowing your past and pathetic existence but that's in the past and now thanks to you and your stupidity your precious little school will be destroyed along with everyone you've ever cared about. You should know by now that heroes never win they never survive all they can expect is a life of pain and misery amounting to nothing but failure."

"You're just trying to get in my head and crush my will well I'll tell you now it won't work. I know my team and my school. You terrorist wouldn't be able to do anything harm to them let alone destroy them."

"Oh really just like we weren't able to do any harm to your little friend George or maybe how we couldn't come close to banishing your treacherous ass and taking all you ever knew. Face it Richard you can do nothing but destroy the lives of those around you and leave a wake of sorrow and misery where you walk. Just ask that little shop owner you know about how devastated he is about the loss of his son. He never forgave you for what you did you know. Just like everyone else you've formed some meager attachment to. It's laughable how pathetic you and your little band of heroes are."

"No I won't believe your lies. You'll never break me you hear I know my friends and I know your tricks. Enough of this evil trick you witch. Face me you coward and stop this pointless mind game." Richard screamed in panic a small tear beginning to form in his eyes.

"Oh no Richard we've only just begun you see and whether you accept it or not the cold reality of your failure is seeping into your very being as we speak. You're an outcast Richard hated by both humanity and by Fauni everywhere. Did you really hope that you could just waltz into Vale and expect them to accept you for the animal you really are? You're nothing but a mindless animal to them and that fact will never change. You've seen what humanity does to your kind and you still want to bend knee to them like a dog. This weakness and mindless sentiment is what ostracized you in the first place. Your Faunas brethren hate you and always will you know. They curse your name and spit on the ground you used to walk because of your weakness. Oh how they would love to get their hands on you but I won't allow that. I want you to see the repercussions of your actions before I end your pitiful existence. When your school burns and your friends executed for their weakness then I will finally grant you the reprieve you will have been begging for by then."

As Richard sat there staring numbly at the ground feeling the dark cold of despair creeping into his being. When despair and fear nearly conquered his mind and destroyed his resolve he suddenly remembered a single shining thought resonated in his mind. He remembered the lesson he heard days before from professor Port. Anger is what drives our prey and rules their actions. You cannot let anger overwhelm you no matter what you've lost. You have to be stronger than your foe both physically and mentally and to never underestimate the tenacity of your enemy. Remember this class the creatures of Grimm will show you no mercy and it may be very easy to tell yourself not to show any mercy as well but take heed that mindset is a trap that could lead to a life of merciless retribution and a loss of your humanity. In this world we live in we must always remember that sometimes the end result is not worth the means it took to achieve it and to never fall into the trap of blindly seeking vengeance.

"You're wrong about Beacon and you're wrong about me. I'm no animal I am a hunter. I am not pathetic I am a person with a soul and I know who the animals are here. You monsters live your lives fueled by evil and anger with no mercy what so ever. I'm above you all and your primal bloodshed. I know that this world we live in can be saved and that humanity isn't a hopeless cause. I'll never bow to your madness and I'll never lose my humanity because I know through all your numbers and fear I am stronger than you both physically and mentally. What you see as weakness is a strength and weapon far greater than any you could ever muster. My faith in my friends and their faith in me are greater than any control you can manage through fear. I am better than you and I will never fall by your hand."

"Poor ignorant fool you could have made a fine lieutenant for my cause but you chose a path of sorrow and grief that will eventually lead to your own demise. It's clear my words are wasted on you but don't worry you'll see in time just how insignificant your little band of heroes are. Tell me though you speak of mercy and being better than me but how many of my soldiers lay dead on the ground by your hand or do they not stand as human to you righteous cause. Against the coming darkness no one has the power to stop us. Do you actually think you're strong enough to defeat me? I am the malevolent fire that destroys the lives of the just and corrupts the heart of the so called fearless. All your future holds now is death and destruction."

At that word the room seemingly shattered into fragments disappearing and leaving Richard floating in an infinite void. Those last few statements rang in his subconscious as he relived the tragedy that had befallen him already. He kept seeing visions of his best friend falling at the hands of the White Fang. He heard the anger of the crowd as they dragged him away to mutilate and outcast him. He felt the anger when he nearly ended Blake's life when he first saw her. He saw a photo of all his friends happily standing together. Suddenly a burning flame sprang in front of him causing him to wince while he saw the photo being consumed by a raging inferno. The inferno raged until it exploded lighting the entire void in a dazzling but ominous light causing Richard to look away with his eyes tightly shut.

When he opened them again he was staring upwards at a white ceiling. He felt the warmth of two clean white sheets on him from the stomach down. He felt the soft comfort of a feather pillow against his head and the almost intoxicating smell of the alcohol used to keep the place sanitary. Richard sat there silently staring at his hands and wondering just how many lives had been extinguish because of him. He looked out the window to see a black sky with a cracked and shattered moon high in the sky. The clock next to him showed that the time was four o'clock in the morning and there wasn't a sound in the entire hospital. He looked around to see the forms of four figures arrayed around him. He saw Blake asleep at the foot of the bed on her knees with her head resting on the bed itself. Weiss was asleep by herself using a small couch and a pillow from their dorm as a makeshift bed. Yang was lying on her back using the couch as a pillow with Ruby tossing and turning on her lap obviously engrossed in some innocent dream.

"What am I going to do now? I can't lose anyone of my team or else we'll all be devastated but I can't just ignore the White Fang and let them take whatever they want." He quietly asked himself.

As he looked around at his friends again he could see they had been awake for several days and that this had been one of the few times they had gotten a decent night's slept. He didn't want to wake them up so he just returned to lying down in his bed staring up at the ceiling trying to get a grip on the situation he found himself and the uncertain future ahead of him and team RWBY. The hours slowly dragged on until he saw the first pink rays of dawn shining through his window illuminating the room. Richard had dozed off earlier when Blake started to stir and wake her teammates up.

"C'mon guys we have class today. We'll have to come back later."

"We can skip one class Blake I mean it's not like we're going to town or anything. We have a legitimate reason to stay here." Yang whined as she gently woke Ruby up and nudged her off of her leg.

"The only way we can beat the White Fang is by getting stronger and the way to do that is to learn everything about our foes that we can and to train now let's go."

They all left one by one to go to their dorm and get ready for the new day with Blake being the last one to leave. She looked at the rare look of peace on his face and wiped away a single tear.

"Please be alright Richard. I couldn't imagine us doing anything without you there to keep us going."

After she left the room was quiet for nearly half an hour before Richard began to stir and open his eyes. He looked around to notice that the room was completely empty and silent. He suddenly heard the distant sound of hells against the hard wood coming towards him. He looked to the door to see Professor Goodwitch standing there with a scowl terrifying enough to send a pack of Ursa Major running in fear.

"I hope you can fully understand the sheer stupidity of what you tried. Has this school taught you nothing that you would charge headfirst into a fight with Cinder Fall and only half of your aura and not a thought about the safety of yourself and your team? What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I have to be stronger. I can't beat her now so I'll train and work until I can and then I'll make sure she doesn't walk away from the evil she's committed intact."

"At least you have some sense then but I'll warn you never underestimate that woman. She has fought countless battles and ended more heroes than anyone can remember but I do believe if anyone can stop her it's you."

"Thank you professor and can you get my friends I want to speak with them."

"Fine but I must warn you. Your friends aren't the only people eager to speak with you since our little battle. The police have been asking for you almost every day while you were out."

"Wait Professor, how long was I unconscious?"

She turned around briefly as she was leaving and simply said.

"About a week maybe a week and a half. We had thought you wouldn't wake up at all considering the amount of damage you took without your aura."

He looked shocked down at his wrist communicator and noticed it was at 100% for his aura as he thought about the absolute hell he must have put his friends through the last week. He sat up and stared at the doorway waiting for the inevitable chaos that would ensue in the next few minutes. He was slightly nervous not because he hated these situations but because he wasn't used to this much care and compassion. For most of his life the only people he had at his back were George and George's father and they were never too emotional at least not as bad as what was coming. Pretty soon he heard the frantic steps of a large amount of people sprinting down the hall. He was suddenly enveloped in a hug as Blake then Ruby and Yang followed finally by Weiss all tackled him nearly crushing him.

"Okay guys please get off I still have cracked ribs you know." Richard gasped as they suddenly realized it and jumped off of him.

"I'm sorry Richard it's just you've been out for over a week and I can't tell you how worried we were.' Blake replied weakly.

"I know and I'm sorry for putting you guys through that. I shouldn't have been so brash and it nearly devastated everyone."

"You shouldn't be so harsh on yourself Richard. You didn't know that it would be Cinder Fall you'd be facing and it's not like you just sprinted ahead of us. We were about two feet behind you when she blocked the door." Ruby replied cheerfully.

"I guess you're right Ruby and that's in the past now we need to focus on being ready next time we cross paths with that psychopath now what's this I hear about the police wanting to talk to me."

"They want to know why the White Fang would suddenly attack Beacon out of the blue and they figured you could give them the information they want." Blake responded. "They'll probably want to speak with you tomorrow now that you're awake."

"I'll deal with it tomorrow then but for now I think I'm ready to get out of this room and see how the school is." Richard said climbing out of the bed standing confidently ignoring the pain in his ribs.

"Are you sure Richard? I don't think it's a good idea for you to be walking around after all of this." Weiss asked worriedly.

"Don't worry I'll be fine now let's go for a little walk around the school." Richard asked finally relieved he could get a little fresh air.


	13. A Spark

Gray Fringes Ch. 13

As he turned a corner to leave the infirmary he stumbled across Professor Goodwitch and realized from one look she gave her that he was going nowhere.

"Oh no you are not going anywhere young man. You still have two bruised ribs and you just woke from your coma today. We have no idea how healthy you are and until we are certain you are fine you are staying in your hospital room."

"Professor I just want to walk outside and breathe a little fresh air then see the rest of my friends and let them know I'm fine."

"If you want to be outside we have a perfectly functioning garden area with plenty of to sit and your friends can see you after class, which reminds me you four need to return to class now that you've had your time to visit."

After his friends said there last goodbyes and walked back to class Richard decided spend the next five hours he had to himself resting and trying to get over the uncertainty and doubt that had begun to form in his mind. While he would never allow this to show in front of his friends he was starting to feel an incurable dread when he thought back on that night at Beacon. He couldn't stand to see anything happen to his teammates and felt that he had to protect them any way he could. After losing his best friend he couldn't relive the depression and grief he felt again. He knew that they could handle themselves in a fight but he couldn't bring himself to risk even the remote possibility of any of them being hurt. He decided after an hour or so of trying and failing to sleep to head to that garden and just relax outside. He asked professor Goodwitch to send someone to get one of his favorite books from his dorm and soon found himself under the shade of a huge tree reading his favorite story. It was a fiction story set in the middle of a huge war between two kingdoms. The hero was a strong, honorable, and kind man who found himself thrown in the middle of a waging war. When most men would throw morality to the wind in order to survive he stood resolute never losing a moral foundation. He was made a sergeant and led a group of eight men into combat. The book went into great detail about the steadfast control he had over any situation and the cunning tactfulness he would display to save his troops from the nearly hopeless situations they found themselves in. He never acted ruthlessly and in fact was respected by the soldiers he fought against and became friends with many of the prisoners he took captive when his kingdom eventually won. That chapter caused Richard to pause and look up at the sky a small spark of an idea starting to form in his head. It was a story that Richard had read many times before and after he lost his home and was the example he tried to live up to each day.

It had been nearly a year since he had read that book and he couldn't help finally feel a sense of peace he hadn't felt since losing his friend. A sense of peace that he had long since thought would never grace his life and give him a moments rest. He found himself dosing off under the tree smiling at the warm rays of sunlight bouncing off of his face and the cool breeze ever so gently brushing past his face. While there was still the ominous threat of Cinder lingering just over the horizon he savored his few precious moments of peace and tranquility He woke up to the sound of birds singing though the trees. He got up and checked his tablet to see that it was noon and he hadn't gotten any lunch yet. As he walked past the front lobby to his room he noticed the rest of his team quietly walking in with a big picnic basket of food.

"Aww you saw us. We were going to surprise you with this big lunch and everything." Ruby whined disappointed

"If you want I can go back outside and pretend I never saw anything. I'll try my best to be genuinely surprised." Richard smiled

"Ha Ha very funny Richard now let's find someplace to eat. I'm starving." Yang said as she stood behind her little sister.

"Let's eat outside. I know a place in the courtyard that'll be perfect."

They sat down and started to unload the contents of the basket. Richard grabbed his usual burger with sautéed mushrooms and a side of the cafeteria fries with a coke.

"Why do you always eat so much meat Richard? A salad is just as good as a burger and it's healthier for you." Weiss said as she looked down at his meal disdainfully.

"I just like meat a lot more than vegetable so I don't really see the need for them when I've got plenty of food."

"But you told us you were a Faunus Richard. I thought the Faunus were vegetarians and didn't like to eat other animals."

"It's a common misconception Yang but I'm a lion as well as a man and lions are some of the biggest carnivores out there. If anything I eat more meat than most people. Anyway what's been going on with the school for the past week?"

"We've just been rebuilding and trying to move forward. The Auditorium and the dorms took a pretty big hit but everything else didn't take too much damage." Blake replied.

"Have the White Fang tried anything yet."

"No I think they just attacked us for show and to show us that we aren't invincible inside of Beacon. They have something much bigger in store for us I'm sure of it."

"Ok as long as they haven't tried anything while I was out and one more thing do you know what happened to Adam."

"I think Pyrrah and Juan handed him over to the police. He was tried and sentenced to 20 years in prison. You might see him when you have to go answer their questions." Yang replied.

"Is that it or was he acting differently then he usually does."

"Come to think of it Jaune did tell me that Adam didn't even try to put up a fight he just kind of sat there staring at the floor or his hands." Ruby replied.

"Why do you care so much about Adam? I thought you hated him for what he did." Weiss asked quizzically.

"I had an idea earlier that might be crazy enough to work." Richard said as he leaned forward and explained the thought that had come to his mind while reading earlier.

"You can't be serious Richard that plan is suicide. Do you honestly believe that you could change Adams view on this conflict for a second?" Weiss interjected completely confused and shocked.

"I don't believe I can Weiss. I know I can." Richard replied undaunted.

"You can't do his Richard. All you can expect from Adam is a knife in the back the second you let your guard down. No one here wants to see that happen to you Richard." Weiss said looking down at the grass in front of her.

"I won't know that unless I try and I think I can change him. He isn't like Roman or Cinder. I still see some good in him."

"How can you be sure of that Richard? He has done nothing but fight and tries to kill us at every turn. We need to destroy the White Fang just like you said Richard they are beyond saving."

"Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them Weiss? To beat Cinder and Roman we need to take away their power and right now their power lies in the Faunus they lie to and manipulate."

"But that still doesn't change the fact that the White Fang and Adam are still fanatical terrorists that don't listen to reason. They are our enemies and they have to be put down Richard." Weiss yelled clearly angered by the sudden turn in the conversation.

"It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe that lures him to evil ways. The way to win this war is to show Fauni everywhere both a part of an independent of the White Fang that the violence preached by the White Fang isn't the best option and the best way to achieve that is by example."

"I'm warning you now Richard that tactic will only bring you pain and suffering." Weiss warned before pointedly turning around and walking away.

"Weiss wait come back we haven't even finished lunch." Ruby pleaded as she ran after her.

"What about you Blake. I know you have an opinion here. You know Adam better than any of us."

She looked up from the tuna sandwich she was eating and simply said

"I want to believe you Richard but now I don't know what to think about all of this anymore but all I have to say is what's with this sudden change of heart."

"When I told him that all this violence is only turning him into an animal I saw for a split second a spark of doubt travel across his face and I knew then that he might not be the man we've condemned him to be."

Blake didn't say anything else but she simply nodded and collect the trash from lunch and walked slowly back to her dorm with Yang.

The next day Richard woke up to see two strange police officers standing at his doorway.

"Come on wise guy you're coming with us to the station." The firs one said

"We just have a few questions to ask ya wise guy."

A few minutes later Richard found himself sitting in from of a plain table with a bright light in his face.

"Are the blinding lights really necessary? It's not like I'm some mass murderer."

"You aren't anything unless we say you are wise guy."

"I guess you can call us the hardly boys because we're so hard on naughty little boys" the second one said with his face inches away from Richards.

"That doesn't even make any sense. Why am I even here? I thought you were going to ask me something."

"Well Mr. Know it all we want to know why the White Fang would be so inclined to attack a group of school children for no reason or maybe it's because you've got something to hide."

"I guess it's the fact that we're a group of highly trained and skilled fighters capable of taking on a whole squad of fighters nearly singlehandedly."

"Don't play dumb with us Richard Lionheart we all know about your past exiled son of the most infamous family of White Fang assassins, warriors and thieves."

Richard cringed when he heard his last name being spoken.

"I left that life a long time ago. I hate talking about my family so could we please change the subject. All I know is that they're still animals and I haven't seen any of them in years."

"Fine let's get on with the real reason we took you here. Our job is to end these little terrorist and they seem to really want to take your little school out. We're willing to work with you if you can control yourself and play by our rules. Otherwise we'll have problems. Let's just say I'd hate to see you on the other side of a cell here."

"Well I don't have much of a choice here so yeah I'll help you but I just have one thing to ask of you."

"What would that be?" The cop asked his eyes narrowing.

"I want to speak with Adam." Richard calmly said as he read the shock on their faces.

"You can't possibly expect us to let you speak with that psychopath. No!"

"My swords will be left here if that's the issue. I just want to have a few words with him. It's some unfinished business and maybe I can get some information out of him."

Both cops looked at each other thinking out the possibilities before both silently nodding.

Forty-five seconds later Richard found himself standing in front of a large metal door.

"Here we are maximum security. Ain't anyone going in or out of this room unless you can fly. You have thirty minutes then we pull you out of there."

Richard took a deep breath then pushed open the door to find himself looking through a glass door at a figure sitting on his bed looking out of the small window covered in iron bars.

"I knew you'd be here eventually Richard. You're either insane or suicidal if you think coming back into this fight was a good idea. You know how many White Fang leaders are clamoring for your head to be put on their mantle."

"That's not why I'm here Adam. I'm here to speak with you. I know you've been thinking about the last thing I said to you and I know you know it's true."

"So that's what this is then some grand speech to sway my heart and join your little band of heroes."

"I'm here to tell you that everything you're doing here is wrong and it won't gain you an inch. Do you honestly believe violence will make them think any better of us?"

"I'd rather be feared as a criminal then bend knee to your best friend Schnee. You're the one who's forgotten what we fight for and you would help our sworn enemy."

"I want exactly what you want Adam but the difference is that I know your way isn't going to solve anything. Tell me Adam how long have you been doing this and how much have you actually gained."

"We've gained a lot more than when we tried it your way Richard. Humanity is a disease that tries to destroy everything it touches. They are savages with no care for anything but themselves."

"The only savages here are you and your twisted ideology. The ideology being shoved down your throat telling you how horrible we are is just another ploy by Cinder and Roman. You can't even see the fact that they are using you and the White Fang to further their own criminal needs. They don't care about our struggle, all they care about is causing the most harm they can. I saw it the minute I heard about them and Blake saw it too so why can't you see the truth in front of you."

"Don't even speak about Blake. You poisoned her mind with your lies and drove her away from us."

"The only thing that drover her away was the monster you are becoming but I believe you aren't beyond saving Adam. Just look around you for a minute and see all the "success" your little ideology has brought you. The only thing poisoned here is your soul Adam. You are willing to throw away your humanity to achieve your goals but I'll tell you this Adam the ends don't justify the means and you'll find yourself at the end of your road even more of an animal than when you started. If you do get out of here ask Roman how many soldiers you lost attacking my school then you'll see just how sympathetic they are to your cause."

"I will but Richard you can't expect to win this fight. You've seen what Cinder is capable of and that's not even counting your family. It's hopeless for you." Adam said with a hint of sorrow in his voice.

"I didn't want any of this to happen Adam and I hate to see the people I once loved so twisted and corrupt but I'll say one thing, if I fall tomorrow then I'll know that I sacrificed myself for a better and more peaceful life. Can you say the same Adam?"

Adam looked at him shocked when he heard a faint beeping behind him. He had just enough awareness to roll away from the explosion ripping the back wall of the cell. A White Fang guard quickly grabbed him and threw him into the waiting gunship. Adam looked back for a split second to see Richard standing there looking at him with a mixture of remorse and hope.


	14. The Calm Before the Storm

Ch.14 The Calm Before the Storm

After an hour of convincing the police he had no idea or part of what just happened he finally found himself outside of the station. He walked over to a nearby coffee shop to grab something to drink before heading back to Beacon. As he sat there he remembered his old family and wondered if he would ever see them in Vale again. He knew the White Fang was in every kingdom and had figured they were all somewhere else causing havoc. Just thinking of them back in Vale brought a shiver down his back and a small pang of fear in his chest. He instinctively brought his hand to the scar under his bandana and remembered that terrible night.

"How am I going to get myself out of this mess without hurting anyone?" he said to himself as he looked into the steaming black coffee in his hand.

"Perhaps you don't have to do anything yourself now." Came a familiar voice behind him

He jumped back to find himself looking at his principle Professor Ozpin.

"Professor Ozpin? What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question but for right now I'm more interested in your first question."

"I don't know how this is all going to turn out and I don't want to go through losing someone again."

"Richard you are a very capable warrior who is on one of the most talented teams I have seen at Beacon. You can't doubt the decisions you make because the second you do you'll never make the right one again. You can never know what will happen until after you make that first step and trying to achieve that will only bring your demise."

"But what if I'm not strong enough to protect them? How can I be sure I'm doing what's best when I can't even win one fight against Cinder Fall?"

"You're asking yourself to be perfect but imperfection is what makes you human. Sometimes failure can teach you if you are willing to learn from it. Don't push yourself to be perfect because all you can expect from that expectation is a failure to live up to it."

"Your team really cares for you Richard. They wouldn't have sided with you if they didn't think they could handle anything the White Fang threw at them with you."

After that he calmly walked away leaving Richard to ponder the new insight he had been given. After a few minutes he left the café and realized that it had gotten pretty dark quickly, the sun had already set and the moon was just peeking over the buildings. After a quick look to his tablet he realized that it was almost 9:30 at night. He quickly walked back to the shuttle to Beacon and grabbed the first one he saw and jogged back to his dorm. When he opened the door to his dorm he was greeted by four angry huntresses standing impatiently around him.

"Do you have any idea how long you've been gone Richard you complete dolt?"

"I got out of there late and wanted to take a walk around Vale to clear my head afterwards."

"Haven't you seen the news? Adam escaped from prison and we were worried something happened to you." Blake asked.

"I know that Blake. I was there when he escaped."

"Does that mean you didn't get to talk with him and try that idea of yours." Yang asked.

"No what happened was they let me go in there and talk with him but they didn't want me to bring my weapons in there so I sat there with him for about twenty minutes. We went back and forth on what we were both trying to accomplish here. Just when I was about to make a breakthrough with him the back wall of the prison exploded and a team of White Fang guards took him into a gunship and flew off."

"Wait you were weaponless in a jail cell with Adam and a group of White Fang guards. Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?" Blake replied angrily.

"There was a barrier separating us and even if there wasn't I could handle a group of White Fang without my swords. You guys don't have to worry about me."

"We don't have to worry about you because we know how capable you are but we still do because you've been like a cornerstone for us this year. I couldn't imagine how we'd cope if you were gone." Blake said looking down at the floor sadly.

"I'm sorry Blake. I just don't want to let you all down. I can't go through that again and I don't want to put any of you in danger because of my actions." Richard said voice breaking as he sat down on his bed staring forward.

They all stood there quietly stunned at the fact that Richard was actually talking about something so personal. Finally Blake walked over and sat next to him. She calmly put her and on his shoulder and said

"You don't have to go through this alone Richard. We all care about you and just don't want you to feel like you have to do everything."

"I know I don't Blake but it's just hard sometimes to remember that I'm not alone anymore. Thanks guys and I'm sorry for not telling you this earlier."

"We understand Richard. It's tough having to be a model for others. You can't fail or seem any less than perfect or else you feel like they'll never see you the same way again but we don't hold you to perfection Richard and you shouldn't either."

Looking up they realized it was nearly midnight. All four girls got up at the same time and left for their dorm. Richard fell asleep a short while after only to suddenly find himself in a dark alley somewhere in Vale. Out of nowhere he was attacked by a group of thugs and White Fang He immediately drew his swords and went to work. He went through countless guards but every time he would defeat one some other guard would just appear and take his place. After what seemed like an eternity of fighting his stamina just ran out and caused him to be knocked across the alley by one of the guards. Just when they were closing in for the kill a sharp command to stop came from the shadows. A teenage figure slowly emerged from the dark. He was clad in a pair of white jeans with a small red undershirt under a pale gold jacket. He had a long mane of jet black hair that nearly concealed a pair of dark brown lion ears. He stared at Richard with two piercing cold dark blue eyes full of malice and evil. At his side was a pair of wickedly curved daggers that had a faint glowing red line running from the hilt to the blade on each one.

"Hello my brother it's been so long but I see you're still as pathetic as I remember." He laughed as he calmly picked out a dagger and threw it directly threw Richard's chest shattering the nightmare he was having and causing him to wake up in a cold sweat. He sat there for a few minutes staring out of his window at the pink sun cresting just over the trees outside. He finally got dressed in a casual t shirt and blue jeans seeing as they had the day off from classes and headed to the cafeteria for breakfast. He met the rest of his team there and found a seat towards the back next to a small television absently playing the news.

"So guys I figured that we have a day off today and I can tell we desperately need to do something fun so why don't we all head into town do a little walking and shopping then catch a movie." Yang said genially as she picked apart her breakfast.

"Sure we all could use a nice peaceful day." Richard responded

They took the first ship to town and walked around happily enjoying one of the few breaks they had gotten this year. They went to several stores and grabbed some coffee befor finally making their way to a jewelry store. He looked around the shelves until he saw a small gold necklace of the side view of a lion in mid stride. He was suddenly interrupted by Ruby saying she left her tablet at the coffee shop and asking Richard to get it for her. He walked back to the store and started looking through the tables. After asking several people where it was he realized that it wasn't there anymore and decided to go back and break the news to Ruby. He saw them walking together speaking in hushed voices as he was going back.

"I'm sorry Ruby I couldn't find your tablet. I think you're going to have to order a new one."

"Oh that no that was just a distraction. We just wanted this to be a surprise." Ruby giggled as she held up a box containing the same necklace he had been looking at earlier."

"Wow it's amazing but you shouldn't have spent so much."

"Price isn't a problem with Weiss here and we just wanted to get you something special." Blake said quietly.

"Thanks guys now let's get moving to the theatre. The movie starts in a few minutes." Richard said as he let Blake put the necklace around his neck.

They quickly made their way to the movies and found five tickets to an action movie about the first Faunus War. As they sat there the minutes turned to hours and the sun set under the buildings. They left the movie to walk back to beacon and realized just how dark it had gotten since they started the movie. They walked along talking about the movie going down the sparsely populated streets.

As they walked past an alley Richard noticed a white van parked and two tall menacing men quietly arguing with each other. Suddenly he noticed a figure on a rooftop before hearing the scream of a rocket coming straight at them. He managed to jump away as the shot hit in the middle of the group causing them to go flying away. A group of men suddenly jumped out of the alley and grabbed Weiss. Richard went for his swords before realizing that in his excitement he had left them in his licked. Cursing himself he attacked them unarmed and managed to take out two of the attackers who were obviously trying to kidnap Weiss. He looked around to see Ruby had already gotten up to help while his other two team mates were still on the ground. He immediately took one guy out before hearing the scream of another rocket coming at him. In a split second he took a custom tracker he had always kept on him for emergencies and stuck the adhesive band into Weiss' armpit. He was immediately thrown back by the blast and got up only to see the guards throwing a still dazed Ruby and Weiss into the Van and driving off at full speed.


	15. A Time to Prepare

Gray Fringes Ch. 15 A Time to Prepare

As the van sped off away from them Richard suddenly felt an inferno next to him burning his jeans and causing him to sweat. Yang had gotten up and seeing her sister and team mate missing had completely lost it and was raging like a supernova. She jumped forward prepared to take out the van's tires when she was suddenly knocked to the ground. She looked up to see Richard holding her by the shoulder as the van turned a corner and disappeared from sight.

"RICHARD WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING THEY GOT AWAY." Yang screamed as she kicked him away and turned her rage towards him.

Richard just calmly got up walked towards yang and said.

"You would have caused the van to crashed and probably killed Ruby and Weiss. There's no way anyone would have survived a crash at that speed."

"Well what are we going to do then? We just can't leave them to those monsters. Who knows what they'll do to Weiss and Ruby?" Yang's voice broke at the last word and caused her to fall to her knees and sob.

"How could this have happened? I'm her big sister and I failed to protect her."

Suddenly she felt a strong grip on her shoulder and turned around to find Richard crouched next to her holding her shoulder confidently.

"Nothing's going to happen to her Yang at least not while I'm still breathing at least."

"How do you know that? They're probably miles away going god knows where. I don't even want to think about what they are going to do to them." She cried until she looked up and saw a look of absolute determination in the now steel gray eyes above her.

"I know because we are going to get them out of there now let's go." Richard replied with a steely determination in his voice as he set off down the street.

"Where are you going Richard?' Blake asked as she hurried after him.

"The police department, they want a war then I will give them a war."

They arrived at the station half an hour later. Richard strode in and walked straight to the receptionist at the front desk.

"Hello sir what can we do fo-"

"I need to speak with the chief of police now. It's Richard Lionheart."

"At the mention of his last name the once busy room turned dead silent as everyone turned toward him and there was a silent murmuring around the room.

"O-of course but what should I tell him?" She stammered nervously

"He looked her straight in the eye and simply said

"Tell him the White Fang want a war and I'm more than happy to oblige them one."

"She swallowed nervously and hurried away leaving Richard and the rest of his team to wait in the lobby. He picked a small chair next to a TV playing the daily news and slunk down looking straight forward clearly lost in thought. Both girls quietly sat next to him not saying a word and waiting for their friend to calm down a little. A few minutes later they were greeted by the same receptionist who slowly walked up to them.

"He's ready to see you just head down that hallway and it's the third door on the right."

Richard kindly thanked her before briskly walking down the hallway flanked by his two teammates. He walked in and immediately put both palms on the desk and said

"We've got a big problem sir and I think you're going to want to do something about it."

"I can tell you have a problem already now can you please calmly sit down and explain what's going on."

"I don't have to explain anything it's all right here." Richard said as he picked up a remote and flipped the nearby TV to a news station that was running a report on the kidnapping.

Suddenly the news team was cut out and a new video was playing on the news. It was a picture of a dark cell with two jails in it. Richard cringed from the memories that place had brought him in the past until he saw two familiar girls being shoved into the middle of the room bound by rope still in their armor. Suddenly a third figure appeared laughing as he faced the camera.

"Hello Vale do I have a treat for you especially a certain oppressive and evil dust company. At my side here we have the lovely heiress Weiss Schnee and her little friend Ruby Rose." He said as he walked over and planted a boot in Weiss's stomach causing her to lurch forward and gag.

"Now that I have your attention Mr. Schnee what we want in exchange for your dear daughter's safety is for you to end all operation of your little company and leave Vale forever or else your daughters going to get a lot more than a kick to the stomach and if any of her little friends try to stop us then you'll be in for a bloodbath."

The broadcast ended suddenly as the announcer stared shocked at the event that had just unfolded.

Suddenly the ring of the phone on the police chief's desk could be heard throughout the room. He quickly answered the phone and paled when he realized who was at the other end.

"Yes, I understand, any means necessary, as soon as possible and n survivors." He nervously replied to the speaker on the phone.

"If I had to guess that was Mr. Schnee and he's not too happy about this whole situation."

"No he's not and he wants us to get them back immediately. The only problem is we have no idea where they are being held."

"I can help with that. When I saw that Torchwick was about to hit us a second time I managed to slip a little Schnee company technology that should allow us to track Weiss's movements on this device." Richard said as he handed the chief a small tablet with a map of Vale that had a small red dot on the northwest corner.

"Well that makes our lives somewhat easier but it would still take at least a day to get reconnaissance on that location and get a strong enough force together so we'll have to get ready and pray nothing too terrible happens in the meantime." He said frankly until he saw the crimson in Yang's eyes and the slow flame beginning to surround her hair.

"What do you mean by tomorrow? Do you have any idea what they could do to my sister in a day? There has to be a way to get them today and I'm not leaving until we find it." Yang replied ferociously.

"We can't rush this yang or else we run the risk of screwing up and possibly losing them both forever."

"He's right miss. For right now we need to get our resources together and plan an assault. I'll be in touch with you three tomorrow to work out the details and your jobs in all of this."

"Yes sir but just one more thing. I'm going in there tomorrow and I can't guarantee any prisoners for you to interrogate this time."

"All I ask is for you to keep a level head in all of this. Don't do anything you or your friends would regret later on."

"Fine now come on guys we have work to do."

Yang was still fuming when they left the police station and headed back to Beacon. Richard simply walked forward staring straight ahead without saying a word as he marched down the streets. Between the supernova blonde and the icy steel temperament of Richard the rest of the people gave them a wide berth on the sidewalk. Blake had been quietly staying behind partially out of fear of being recognized by anyone in the police station and partially trying to stay out of Yang and Richard's way. She finally decided she need tell Richard what was bothering her.

"Richard?"

"Yes Blake what do you need?"

"Listen I know you're pretty torn up by this and believe me I am too but I'm afraid you're getting too angry. Remember what Ozpin and Port told you please. I don't want to see this change you like Adam changed."

That last sentence caught him off guard and caused him to stop in the middle of the sidewalk with a mixture of surprise and confusion on his face. He quickly regained his composure and returned the usual determined look and started walking again.

"You're probably right Blake but I'll deal with that problem after we get Ruby and Weiss out of that hell and don't worry about that. I won't become that I promise you."

"Ok I just worry because I care about you and don't want to lose another friend to this curse."

"I know and thank you. I'm not used to so many people actually caring about what I do."

They reached the airships and started the short journey back to Beacon and they made their way back to their dorms. Richard walked past his team's dorms taking a sideways look at the two empty beds with a small tear in the corner of his eye. He fell into his bed looking up at the sky and realized that it would be a while before he would be driven to sleep by exhaustion. He spent two hours looking at his ceiling aimlessly until he heard two pairs of footsteps in his room.

"I take it you two couldn't get any sleep like me." He said still looking at the ceiling above him.

"I just can't sleep thinking what might be happening to Ruby and Weiss right now." Yang replied weakly.

"You need to sleep Yang. You're no good tomorrow if you can't stay awake. Just visualize what you're going to do to the White Fang and think about that until you nod off." Richard frankly replied from his bed.

"I know your right but can I at least sleep in here then. It would be nice to have the whole team here."

"Fine and Blake I'm assuming it's the usual nightmares tonight."

"Yeah but it's gotten worse do you mind Richard?"

"No come on maybe it'll help me get some sleep too."

Blake curled up next to Richard purring softly as he started to nod off. Yang took up residence in the bed next them and managed to get a few hours of restless sleep. Richard sat awake for a couple hours longer before finally nodding off and falling to sleep. The next morning they woke up to find a note under both doors leading to their dorms.

You have classes off this morning. I suggest you use the time to properly prepare yourselves

-Glynda Goodwitch

"I guess now's as good a time as any to get ammunition and make sure everything is working perfectly." Richard said after reading the note.

They made their way to the armory across the school and began to sharpen and inspect their weapons for the coming fight. After finishing that job they each parted ways for a little while to finish some things individually. Blake went into town to by Ammo for the group, Yang went to the gym to let out some frustration and train while Richard went straight to the training room to spar. He looked down the empty hall filled with straw dummy and targets for long range practice. He immediately went to work attacking the first dummy before rolling away towards a second dummy and cleaving it in two with a quick strike of the sword before leaping up bring out his pistols in midair falling to a stable position and placing two shots dead center on one of the targets across the room. He tried to focus on the targets in front of him but all he could think of was the possibility of failing like he did with George. After an hour of futile attempts to try and focus he gave up and realized what he had to do. He left the training grounds and found the first shuttle into town. He picked up a quick stride as he made his way to a small worn path into Forever Fall by the edge of town. He made his way down the path until he reached a clearing with a familiar set of ruins in it. He walked over to the makeshift grave he made all those months ago.

"It feels like it's been an eternity since I made this George. My life's changed so much since then but I still can't shake the feeling I felt when I lost you. Now the White Fang have two more of my friends in the exact situation we were in months ago and I don't know if I can handle another loss like that." Richard said remorsefully as he stared down at the remains of his once faithful companion and friend.

"You can't think about that Richard." Came a silent voice behind him.

He jumped up and turned around to find his raven haired teammate standing at his side looking at the grave.

"I know it's hard to lose someone like George but right now you have to focus on winning this battle and getting our friends back."

"I know but I'll lose everything if I fail again."

"We've all made mistakes and have regrets but right now do you think George would be happy seeing you torn up like this. The only way to keep your sanity is to move forward and use the mistakes of the past to guide yourself in the future." Blake said putting a hand on his shoulder and wiping a tear from her eye.

"You're right Blake. It's time to stop letting my life be ruled by this darkness and bring these monsters to justice." He removed the blue bandana from his face and tied ti to one of the lower branches on the trees and said

"I'm done hiding from this scar and it's time for the White Fang to see this mark and tremble out of the fear that this will bring and the knowledge that the only thing they can blame for their fear are themselves." Richard growled as his tablet went off and displayed a small message on the screen.

"That's our cue Blake let's get Yang and put an end to this little game. Goodbye George and with any luck I'll be back to tell you how it went."


	16. The Rescue Mission

Gray Fringes Ch. 16: The Rescue Mission

Richard sat perfectly still on the thin branch overlooking the ominous compound nestled in the middle of Forever Fall. It was only fitting that Weiss and Ruby would be taken to the same base he had escaped from all those months ago.

"They're probably being held in the same two cells that George and I were in too." Richard thought as he watched the police force stealthily nestle themselves in the tree line around the base. The police chief designed a simple plan that would require Blake Yang and Richard to slip in the base and locate Weiss via her tracker while the police occupied most of the White Fang forces with a three pronged attack around the base. They would have to sneak through the maze of hallways while avoiding contact with any guards. It seemed like a foolproof plan that they could execute easily but there was still some nagging suspicion in the back of Richard's head. As he sat there waiting for the police to get ready he thought of his old family of Lionhearts and how the police in the other kingdoms would be handling them. He still remembered the day he heard the news that they were all relocated out of kingdom from a drunken guard in the back of an old bar he and George were sitting in. It had been a complete stroke of luck at the time and he hoped he would never have to see those monsters again. He still remembered the piercing blue eyes in his dream and the cold snare when he was exiled and left for dead. He shook his head and put those thoughts out of his mind. The only thing he could focus on was the mission at hand and how he was going to execute it perfectly. All there was to do now was look out for the signal, wait a few minutes before making the descent and getting the job done get Ruby and Weiss into police hands. He exhaled sharply to calm his nerves before checking to see that his weapons were loaded. He tenderly brought his hands up to the scar on his face and wondered if Ruby or Weiss would be carrying one too. He fought the wave of boiling hatred that surged through him at the thought of something like that happening to someone as innocent as Ruby and repeated the lesson Ozpin had taught him. After several deep breaths he managed to calm himself down and return his attention to the woods around him. He took out a small bottle of water to quench his suddenly dry throat. He looked down to see that most of the police were in position and ready to strike. A few moments later a gigantic explosion ripped through the front gates of the compound while a single green flare sailed through the air. He immediately jumped down from the tree to the two girls waiting at the bottom. Yang was sitting around with Crescent Rose strapped to her back while Blake was leaning on a tree adjusting Gambol Shroud on her back while keeping Myrtenaster secured to a sheath at her side.

"The signal just appeared. Five minutes then we head down there. Everyone ready?"

Both girls looked at each other before Yang looked up at Richard.

"We're ready, let's go get my sister back." Yang said with a flame starting to burn in her eyes.

"Well then let's go." Richard said before diving straight off the cliff towards the base followed shortly after by yang and Blake. He took off in a full sprint down the cliff before jumping forward over the fence and landing feet first in the middle of a group of twenty very surprised guards.

"I'm terribly sorry for dropping in like this but I have a few errands to run and you would just get in my way." Richard laughed as Blake and Yang dropped down on either side of him.

They made quick word striking in unison to split the group into three groups that each student took down separately.

Richard moved quickly unsheathing both swords as he went straight at his targets ducking under two swings before slashing at their legs knocking both assailants out before quickly disarming two more opponents of their rifles then quickly striking both with the flat of his swords knocking them out. He looked at the two remaining guards for a split second before striking forward. The first guard attempted to vertically slash while the second moved in to hit him from the left. Richard managed to catch the first attack with his right sword and send him flying backwards. The second guard struck at his left flank but was quickly blocked and sent into a warehouse wall by a sturdy kick to the chest.

He looked around to see that they didn't attract any more attention and notice Blake and Yang easily finishing off the last of the guards.

"Let's get out of here before anyone investigates this noise." Richard said as he made his way to the nearest door. They moved through the hallways with Blake in front leading them through every twist and turn and taking the secluded halls no one normally used. As they were running along they heard two pairs of feet walking straight towards their hall. Richard quickly grabbed both girls by the back of their shirts and threw them into a nearby closet before jumping in right before the two figures entered the hall.

"It seems the police are through the front gate and making a perimeter to launch their next attack." Came the low gruff voice of Adam from the other side of the door.

"It won't matter for long what the police do once Cinder and our little visitor are done with them." Replied the snarky tone of Roman.

"It's not the police I'm worried about. Do you honestly believe Beacon wouldn't send Richard to get them back?"

"I've already thought of that which is why I'm having you stand guard of the prisoners while I lead the fight out front and one more thing if Richard does make it to you kill the prisoners I don't want them leaving here alive." Roman replied before chuckling sadistically to himself.

"You can't be serious Roman. They're unarmed and weak right now and can't even pick up a weapon to fight with." Adam said shakily with a slight quiver in his voice.

"So what you're a member of the White Fang and that didn't stop you from ending that stupid fool of a man that was with Richard last time." Roman countered clearly annoyed at someone questioning his orders.

"I know that but it doesn't feel right Roman and all we need right now is another martyr for them to be infuriated right now."

"Doesn't feel right? You're a Faunas criminal and terrorist Adam. No one here cares about morals and right now eliminating those two would help your precious little cause a lot more than hurt it." Roman laughed sarcastically before leaving the bewildered Faunus behind and saying one last parting remark.

"Oh and Adam one last thing. If those two girls make it out of here alive it'll be your head on the chopping block."

They heard Adam and Roman part ways then waited a few minutes before quietly creeping out of the closet and down the hallway.

"Those bastards I'll kill them for this." Yang whispered furious.

"We'll deal with that later but right now we just have to get Ruby and Weiss." Richard replied.

"But what about Adam. You heard what Roman said. He'll kill them both if he sees them." Blake asked concerned at the new turn of events.

"I'll deal with Adam when we get there now let's move."

Blake led them down several more hallways before arriving at a small inconspicuous door in the back of the building.

"This is it now what do we do from here." Blake asked.

"Hold up I hear voiced inside and I want to know what we are dealing with. Just stand back and guard the hallway." Richard said as he put his ear on the door and listened.

"You understand that my team is going to be here to defeat you and get us out of here." Richard almost hit the floor in relief at hearing the shrill sound of his icy teammate.

"Based on what Roman ordered you better hope you don't see your teammates in here." Adam replied to the heiress.

"It won't matter how fast you are because I can guarantee you that Richard is faster and he won't be very happy to hear about your little plan to dispose of us." The heiress retorted

"Just shut up already princess and shouldn't you be helping your little friend over there she seems pretty bad but that's what you get for trying to dig a tunnel out of this place. You're just lucky they didn't brand you like they did to Richard when he was here last."

At those words Yang nearly lost it and kicked the door down herself but was quickly grabbed and subdued by Richard.

"Shh we have to be careful about this Yang just let me handle this." Richard whispered with his hand over her mouth and holding her in place. He quickly let her go and returned his attention to the door.

"Do you even understand what Yang is going to do to you all for hurting her little sister like this and Richard won't be too happy either." Weiss retorted in her usual condescending way.

"They're not going to be doing much once Roman, Cinder and the new arrival from Vytal takes care of them, for now I'd be worried about surviving the night if I were you."

Richard used the last sentence as a cue to make his move and calmly opened the door and walked towards them hands up.

Adam immediately moved for his sword once he saw them but was stopped out of confusion at Richard approaching him without his swords drawn eyeing the scene around him. He noticed Ruby was lying on the ground unconscious next to Weiss who was also sitting there looking up at them impatiently.

"Adam, wait before you do anything hasty and just hear me out for a second okay. I don't want to fight you."

"What?" both Adam Yang and Weiss replied simultaneously looking at Richard. Only Blake understood what Richard was trying and stood behind him closing the door and listening for guards.

"I know there is some good in you Adam and I know that you are starting to question whether what you are doing is right. Two weeks ago I called you an animal but I can tell you that you don't have to be like this and that you shouldn't throw your life away working for criminals like Roman and Cinder. Look around Adam they don't care about you or your cause." Richard stated calmly as he stared Adam down.

"That's not true Richard they do care about me and my friends. You are a fool for trying this Richard. I don't have a choice now. I'm too far gone." Adam replied with a slight quiver in his voice.

"If they cared about you Adam they wouldn't have left you to fight all three of us alone and you do have a choice Adam. What the White Fang are doing is evil and you know it Adam but more importantly is the fact that this little crusade has done nothing but breed more hatred towards our kind Adam and it need to be stopped. Please Adam I beg you to see past these lies they are telling you and stop being a pawn in their game. I'm not angry at you Adam I'm sad because I know you understand the difference between right and wrong yet still choose this path but I know you can change if you just would find the courage to leave this place and start trying to right the wrongs you have caused." Richard pleaded

Adam stood still for a few seconds blankly staring ahead of him with a look of confusion. He looked down at the sword in his hand then back at the cage behind him. This continued for a few seconds until he started pacing and arguing with himself until he finally looked at Richard one last time before Yelling and with one lightning quick motion slashing the lock of the prison and causing it to fly open. Before anyone could react Adam was out the door running away at full speed away from the compound.

"Let's go guys we still have to get out of here in one piece." Richard said breaking his team out of the silent shock surrounding them. He walked up to Weiss and offered her his hand.

"I can't walk right now Richard. They hit me in the back of the leg and I can barely stand. They knocked Ruby unconscious a few minutes before you arrived but she's still breathing and won't be awake for a couple of hours at least."

Richard paused a moment before coming to a decision.

"Okay here is the plan: Blake you take point and lead us out of here while I carry Weiss and Yang gets Ruby. Hopefully we won't meet any resistance but if we do we make a circle around Weiss and Ruby and guard them from there. Got it?"

They all nodded and started to get ready to leave. Richard quickly picked Weiss up and made sure she didn't have any other serious injuries. Yang did the same with Ruby before propping the young huntress over her shoulder. They made their way up the stairs and down several hallways before reaching a side exit near the back of the building. As they reached the door they were interrupted by a mysterious figure emerging from a nearby hallway. He slowly clapped as he reached a tattered light that illuminated his face. Richard cringed as he saw the familiar piercing blue eyes and menacing snarl that greeted him.

"I must say brother that I'm impressed. I would have never imagined a pathetic little coward like yourself would make it this far. I never expected you to get past the first guards let alone all the way to the exit." He laughed as he slowly approached them.

"Blake, take Weiss and get them out of here while I deal with him and don't come back no matter what happens." Richard said before turning his attention to his brother. "A lot has changed since we last met and you'll find that I'm no pushover you can bully. Tell me if you knew we were coming then where are the reinforcements to overwhelm us?" Richard replied defiantly staring his foe in the eye.

"I don't need any lesser guards to handle this situation brother and as for you two could you kindly get out this is a family matter here and I don't want any interruption." He sneered coldly.

Blake gave Richard one more concerned look before exiting the side door and making their way out of the compound.

"Your pride has always been one of your worst characteristics you know but it doesn't matter now I guess." Richard replied hoping to buy Blake and Yang some time.

"You always have been so annoying with your talk of justice and humility, maybe that's why we always thought of you as the weak link of the family that didn't deserve our name."

"I never wanted that name anyway. I won't be defined by a group of assassins, thieves and murderers like you." Richard responded as he unsheathed his two swords.

"You're such a fool Richard. Do you think the police would take you with the history we have. All you have to look forward to is hatred and expulsion but that doesn't matter now does it." He laughed as he revealed the four daggers he had on each hip.

He smirked before immediately striking first by throwing two daggers directly at Richard before taking two more and charging forward. Richard quickly dodged the first one and knocked the second one out of the air before bring both his swords to parry the attack of his brother. They moved back and forth attacking at lightning speed and relying on nothing but pure instinct to parry block and counter. Richard had the ability to react to any attack and used that to block any attack but realized that his opponent had an equally fast reaction to each move he made. Eventually Richard was able to feign a strike and take advantage of the microscopic window of opportunity to punch his opponent square in the chest causing him to fly backwards. As he flew however he was able to throw the two knives he was holding catching Richard off guard.

He barely managed to block the first one with his sword but winced as the second found its mark in his left arm just below the shoulder. He quickly took the knife out and continued to press the attack against his brother who had already recovered and now had another set of knives out. Even with his injury Richard was able to fight off his brother who was also wincing from the bruise forming on his chest. After what seemed like an eternity of heated combat Richard managed to get inside one of his opponents strikes and disarm him causing his daggers to go skidding past the hunter. Before he could strike again he saw the flash of two knives knocking the swords out of his hands. Richard looked up at his now unarmed opponent who immediately began to attack him in hand to hand combat. They punched kicked and grappled until both were stood facing each other again. Richard had suffered quite a bit of bruising around his stomach and had a small trickle of blood running from the left side of his mouth. His opponent looked equally as haggard with a black eye and countless cuts and bruises scattering his body.

He smirked before looking at Richard and saying

"Well it has been fun brother but this is where we part way and I'll give the rest of the family your regards." He said mockingly before taking off down the hallway.

Richard sighed and began to walk towards his swords that were scattered on the floor. He was about to get rid of the daggers scattered around the floor when he heard the thunderous sound of boots running down a hallway.

"I guess that's my cue to get out of here." Richard thought as he made his way out the door, over the fence and towards the force of Police officers retreating from the compound.


	17. Paradise

Gray Fringes Ch. 17: Paradise

Richard cut through a small path through the forest trying to find his way back to Vale. He had only briefly seen the tail end of the police force as they were retreating after completing their objective. He couldn't grab their attention and had to now navigate through the pitch black wilderness with several broken ribs and a large wound in his shoulder bleeding like crazy. He made his way through the darkness without a problem due to his near perfect vision at night but couldn't figure out which way Vale was. He looked up and managed to see a bright star shining through a patch of clouds.

"Okay that way is north and I know that vale should be somewhere south of here so south it is." Richard mumbled to himself as he turned around and managed to make his way south. He walked along silently for a few miles before having to sit and rest for a while. He sat down on a nearby tree stump and began to collect his breath and figure out what his next move would be. He coughed suddenly hawking up a mess of blood and realized that if he didn't find something resembling civilization soon he would be in big trouble. He stood up briefly before immediately falling back on the stump in pain and lying on his back wincing. He looked up at the sky in front of him silently. The clouds had parted and all that was left was a brilliant display of stars and planets arrayed before him.

"This wouldn't be a bad place to lay down for a moment and rest for a moment." He thought deliriously

"I did the best I could I guess and gave my friends as good a chance as any to stay alive. I hope their ok and that they don't take this loss too badly especially Blake but Adam might do the right thing and help them." Richard thought absentmindedly, a small tear dripping down his cheek, as he felt the wood he was lying on and wondering how a stump could be this flat before flickering slowly into unconsciousness.

It was the smell of a stew cooking that woke Richard as he jumped up in alarm before falling back down from the pain in his ribcage.

"Hey buddy take it easy there. We don't want you breaking any more ribs." Rang an unfamiliar voice next to him.

He looked over to see a huge burly middle aged man with jet black long hair and an equally long beard of the same color looking at him carefully.

"I don't understand what's going on and where am I? How long have I been unconscious and How do I get to Vale from here?" Richard asked frantically.

"Easy man just take it easy before you have a heart attack. I'll explain as much as I can while you eat some of this stew I made. Judging by how much blood you lost you need every bit of nourishment you can get." The man said reassuringly as he handed Richard a large bowl of the boiled potato and cabbage stew.

Richard took it and began to immediately tear into it finishing the bowl in less than a minute.

"I figured you'd be hungry but I didn't expect you to be that hungry." The man laughed as he took the bowl to fill a second portion.

"Thank you and I guess I'll start of slowly by just asking you where I am." Richard said as he caught his breath.

"The names Robert Depaunt and this here is my humble abode away from the bustling city. I was a soldier for the king in the Faunus Wars years ago and couldn't quite adjust to life again after that time so I got away and moved out here away from it all. Haven't really known anyone that is until I heard a commotion last night and found you half dead lying in a pool of your own blood on the log I use to cut firewood with. You're lucky though a few more hours and I don't know if I could have done anything to help you. Now I'd like to know just how you managed to find yourself in that situation."

"My names Richard and I-" Richard started before being interrupted

"Don't you have a family name friend because you don't seem to look like an orphan?"

"I do but that name only brings out the terror and fear I've been fighting most of my life. I'd rather have no one know that name."

"You can't hide from your name lad and I won't think any different of you for it."

"Fine but I warned you. My name is Richard Lionheart." Richard said weakly as he looked to the floorboards next to him.

"Ah I see and how exactly did you get those wounds." Robert asked nervously.

"My brother did this after my friends and I attacked a White Fang compound with the police that night."

"Your friends?"

"I ran away from that life years ago but right now I am in Beacon Academy training with my team you see two of them were captured and we went in there and got them back."

"A hunter and a warrior. You sir are full of surprises you know that now eat up before it goes cold." The man laughed heartily before handing Richard another bowl.

"Listen Robert I can't thank you enough for all of this but I need to get back to Vale to find my friends and make sure they're ok. Is there any way to get to Vale from here."

"I have an old horse and cart I use to head to the nearest village but right now you are in no condition to head anywhere. You have several broken ribs and have lost a good amount of blood." Robert said stubbornly.

"Is there any way I can get a hold of my friends then, a telephone maybe instant message?" Richard asked next.

"Not here at least but I'm sure the village will have something. They're the kindest folk I've ever met and would be sure to help you. I'll get ready to head over there after this lunch."

"Thank you and sorry for being a little frantic I just want them to know I'm safe. I kind of stayed back to make sure they escaped before fighting my brother."

"I understand now let's get some fresh bandages on before you get an infection."

They sat quietly eating for a while until Richard finally spoke up

"Not a bad place you've got here Robert. It seems like a pretty peaceful life. The only thing I could imagine being a problem are the Grimm."

"We don't get many Grimm around this part of the forest and even when we do I still remember how to use a sword and shield like a soldier. Other than that though it is a nice life and one I thought I'd never get."

"It must be nice being to wake up in the morning without worrying about anyone except yourself."

"It does get a little lonely though and I do miss the action sometimes but on the whole I'd rather be here. Anyway I better get on over to the village and see what I can do about getting you back to your home."

Richard nodded as the burly soldier stood up and left the house to go to the village. He slowly started to sit up astonished that the pain had started to decrease so quickly. Hopefully he would be out of here and back to Beacon. He felt kind of sad to leave though because this place felt like a shield from the hardships he had gone through and a place where he actually felt a little peace. He pushed the thought out of his mind however when he remembered that he had to be there for his team and for the rest of Vale. He hoped Ruby and Weiss were ok and that Blake and Yang had made it out of there safely.

"Well there's no harm in enjoying some peace while I have it I guess." Richard thought smiling as he laid back down quickly falling asleep.

When he woke up he saw three men standing over him. One was Robert standing to the left, then there was a small balding middle aged man wearing some faded glasses and the third man was a fairly large muscular blonde man wearing a worn pair of jeans and a faded t shirt. He wasn't a very threatening person but he did have an air of silent confidence that hung around him like dense fog on a warm summer morning.

"Hello you must be this Richard fellow we've heard so much about. My name's Jeremy and this here is the town doctor Emmanuel."

"Doctor is really just a title. I'm more of a scientist."

"Nice to meet you but why exactly do we need a doctor here; I'm starting to feel much better with some rest."

"I'm partially here to make sure your healthy and partially here to observe you. I've only heard stories of how well lion Fauna are able to recover from injury and I want to see it now that I have the opportunity." The doctor replied eyeing Richard from head to toe

"This is absolutely incredible. You told me that he arrived here with four fractured ribs and a large knife wound in the shoulder but now the wound is nothing but a scar and the ribs seem to be healing themselves at an astonishing rate. I must have a sample at once. Would you be kind enough to donate a small amount of blood and skin cells?" The doctor asked excitedly.

"Easy doc, stop freaking the kid out. If you want a sample there's still plenty of blood on my log outside."

"No no that won't do it has to be fresh now Richard it'll be just a few seconds. You don't need one measly cup of blood right."

"Judging by old Robert's backyard he'll need all the blood he can get now stop Doc." Jeremy suddenly ordered.

"Listen the only thing I care about right now is getting in contact with my friends. Can you guys help me with that or not." Richard asked clearly aggravated.

"We have this communicator I carry around but I need a number to call first." Jeremy replied.

"I know who to call don't worry so can I see it for a few minutes."

He took the phone and entered a number before waiting a few rings before the familiar monotone voice of his headmaster.

"Hello you've reached Beacon academy. What can I do for you?"

"It's me Ozpin I managed to get out of that compound but I'm stuck in this little village outside Vale."

"It seems you've beaten the odds once again Richard. When can we expect you back?"

"Two three days at the most probably. I'm sorry for worrying you guys too much."

"I don't think I'm the one that would like to hear that apology the most. Your team arrived back at beacon yesterday but Weiss and Ruby are still in a hospital downtown."

"That's good to hear. Give them my regards next time you see them and tell them I'll be there soon enough."

"Good to hear now I'll see you when you get back." Ozpin said as he ended the call.

He gave the phone back to Jeremy before asking the doctor how long until he would be able to walk around and get out of here.

"I'd say at this rate you should be walking by tonight and able to get back to your friends by tomorrow at the earliest. How are you doing for walking right now?"

"I tried a few hours ago but couldn't walk for long but I can try now."

He slowly got up and to the astonishment of everyone in the room he walked across both rooms without feeling any pain in his ribcage."

"Simply Fascinating." The scientist said in awe. "If I could just have one week to study this phenomenon I'd die a happy man."

"I wish I could give that to you doc but I have more important things to deal with now, maybe one day I'll come back for good."

"If he can walk then I don't see the point in keeping him here any longer. It's been a pleasure Richard and should we let your school know your arriving early." Jeremy said as he reached a hand to shake Richard's

"Nah I'll surprise them. Thank you for everything here. Hopefully one day I can repay the favor." Richard replied firmly shaking the man's hand.

"Now let's go. I've got a small airship we can use to get to Vale."


End file.
